And They Lived
by GleeGeneration23
Summary: In which James and Lily live. Harry has a scar, Sirius and Marlene have a child, Remus is the cool but responsible Uncle, Pettigrew is on the run, and the Golden Trio become the Fab Four. AU of the Philosopher's Stone.
1. The Garden of Forking Paths

**Hello! I am delving back into my great love of Harry Potter with another fanfiction. This is a 'James and Lily survived' story and does include some Sirius/Marlene which is a pairing that has rather grown on me recently. Also upon posting this first chapter this will become my 100th story!**

 **This story will not have the same chapter titles as in the books, also some of the chapters in the book will be condensed as certain plot lines such as the Dursley arc do not need explaining. As of now I have no plans to extend this beyond the Philosopher's Stone but then again something could change. The next chapter will contain the combined chapters of the Vanishing Glass and The Letters From No One.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine, it all belongs to the Queen of Writing that is the incredible J.K Rowling.**

 **Please Read and Review and let me know what you think!**

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And They Lived.

In which James and Lily live. Harry has a scar, Sirius and Marlene have a child, Remus is the cool but responsible Uncle, Pettigrew is on the run, and the Golden Trio become the Fab Four. AU of the Philosopher's Stone.

Chapter 1-Garden of Forking Paths

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 **Chapters Covered-** _The Boy Who Lived _

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Mr and Mrs Potter of Godric's Hollow were very proud to say there were perfectly _abnormal_ thank you very much.

"James seriously stop telling him that" Harry Potter's mother would yell up the stairs whenever Harry was hearing that bedtime story.

It was the story of Harry. Written by Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet Special Correspondent or as Uncle Sirius called her whenever he thought Harry wasn't in earshot _'That Bitch whose Quill deserves to be shoved somewhere it will hurt'_

Harry Potter was not a normal boy. He was a wizard. He had two wizard parents, two wizard godparents and a werewolf Uncle. He had two wizard friends and one wizard cousin. They were the family that he cared about. He knew his mother was related to muggles but he had never met them and judging by the way his father looked like he had swallowed The Draft of Living Death whenever they were mentioned he doubted that he ever would.

But Harry Potter was not just a normal boy. And it wasn't because he was a wizard.

For a long time Harry had not known about what had happened nearly ten years ago the night of Halloween. He and his cousin Calla Isolde Black had found the Prophet reports hidden in Uncle Remus's bedside table that one time they had been visiting and Calla (who at the age of five had been a better reader than he had been) had poured over the small print until she had figured out enough words to piece together something of a story.

And then they had gone to Uncle Remus because Calla was smart but five and she didn't know what the killing curse was and had promptly wanted to see it in action.

Harry could still remember that discussion years later.

The truth had come out because the truth always does and Harry and Calla had been sat down in Uncle Remus's flat by their parents who had told them both the whole story.

"Once upon a time there was a very bad wizard" his father had begun looking strangely nervous and serious all at the same time which was…well…strange because his Dad had never looked like that in his life. In fact everyone was looking serious. Even Uncle Sirius.

"Oh for Merlin's sake Potter it's not a fairy-tale" Auntie Marlene had snapped at him.

The story had come out. How there had once been a wizard so dark that people still feared his name.

"Voldemort" his Dad said finally a little twist at the end of his mouth.

"Voldemort" Uncle Remus said when it was clear that his Dad was beginning to struggle telling the story. "Came to power when you were very young. He inspired a reign of terror such as you have never known and we all hope you never will. He killed some of the greatest witches and wizards of the age including your friend Ron's uncles and…" And then Uncle Remus tapered off and looked at Harry's Auntie Marlene, Calla's mother and Uncle Sirius girlfriend as if he didn't know weather or not he should continue this conversation.

Auntie Marlene looked away out the window for a second and then nodded. Uncle Sirius took her hand. Harry watched and suddenly felt very cold.

"And my Grandma and Grandpa?" Calla asked turning her head to the side so she could stare at her mother. "And all your family?"

Aunt Marlene's nod was all the confirmation that they needed.

Harry turned back to Uncle Remus.

"So what happened was that your mother and father Harry, and yours Calla and I went into hiding and so did Neville and his parents. And we lived that way for a while. Nobody liked it but that's what we did to keep you safe."

"What happened then?" Calla asked her head turning to the side. She was shorter than Harry he noticed letting his mind wander. Her legs stuck out off the sofa rather than dangle off them like he did. It was why he and Ron always outran her and Neville when they raced each other at The Burrow.

Uncle Remus gave a slight cough as if he knew Harry was losing focus. He was always doing that Harry thought, whenever he knew that his concentration was slipping. Uncle Remus was the one that helped with their homework when they came back from the Wizarding Primary School and he always knew when Harry was struggling or getting board. He snapped his eyes back to his Uncle who was smiling slightly.

"Daddy" Calla said apparently frustrated with Harry and Uncle Remus's slow telling of the story and turning to Uncle Sirius. "What happened next? Is he still out there?" And she looked up as if she expected Voldemort to drop down from the ceiling upon them. Unable to stop himself Harry looked up too.

"No kiddo" Uncle Sirius said smiling slightly. "He was destroyed…" Harry noted the look between his Dad and his Uncle but didn't know what was going on and didn't want to ask.

"Harry destroyed him" his Dad said finally.

Calla looked at Harry and then looked at Uncle Remus who was always the voice of reason in this family. "Harry?" she said in a tone that was decidedly not nice.

Uncle Sirius really couldn't stop the snort that escaped at this point. Harry turned to look at him and then back at his Mum and Dad. His Mum tugged a hand through her long red hair and then smiled for the first time in this conversation moving so she was in front of them.

"Yes Darling" she said to Calla. "Harry. That's why he has his scar"

The scar she was referring to was in fact a very odd shaped scar on Harry's forehead shaped like a lightening bolt. Then his Mum had gently explained to him that Voldemort one night while his Dad had been at his Uncle Sirius house had come. He had stunned her and tried to kill him but he couldn't. And then he had gone. And that was why Harry Potter was known as The Boy Who Lived.

There was a stunned pause following this where Harry Potter at the age of five tried to get his brain around being famous for simply being alive when Calla Black said in a tone of utmost finality.

"Well I'm smarter than him so there"

And that had broken the tension pretty well.

But that hadn't stopped Harry from thinking about it sometimes.

Some nights he would lay awake thinking about it, trying to remember it. When he confessed all to his best friend Ron Weasley three months later. Ron clutching his teddy bear had listened in silence.

"Wow" he had whispered into the darkness. They were having a sleepover at The Burrow and the rain was pattering against the roof.

"Well" Ron said finally as he had mulled over Harry's story. "I don't think he's coming back. I mean…I could ask Dad if you want but I don't think he likes talking about it. And if something about you stopped him then that's got to be a good thing. And I don't care if your famous. Maybe it will be a good thing. We could get lifetime tickets to the Chuddy Cannon's matches!"

And that was when Harry Potter knew at the age of five not only what made him famous, but that his friends and his family were going to stick by him no matter what.

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This story. Harry's story, started on Halloween night. James Potter knew it well, so well that it was engraved into his mind, his body and the very essence of his magic. It was the night where he had nearly lost everything.

Dumbledore had 'borrowed' his invisibility cloak to examine it for something and James had been…board. He had known why he was in hiding. He knew that Voldemort was coming for him but he knew that Peter would never betray him. Also it had been nearly three weeks since Sirius had come by and whist James had a feeling that his best friend was slowly moving his family into hiding before joining them himself (probably with Dumbledore as Secret Keeper) James had desperately wanted to see his best friend before they were forced apart to go into hiding like they were the criminals in their world, their own world that they had grown up in their entire lives.

"Oh for Merlin's sake" Lily had said the night of Halloween staring at him as she had taken Harry now resting his head against her shoulder off him.

"Go and see him. You're still able to turn into an animal at will are you not? I doubt even Voldemort knows about that"

James dithered for a second. The idea of fresh air, the chance to be with his friend again before they both went underground was something he wanted so badly his body ached with it. But the thought of leaving Lily and Harry alone even for an hour or two…

And there was no guarantee Voldemort did not know that he was a stag whenever he wanted to be. James didn't want to believe that Remus was the spy but…

"James" Lily said as if reading into his decision. "I am perfectly capable of putting Harry to bed. While your there you can drop of Calla's birthday presents though they are a bit late. I'm sure Marlene will understand"

He caught her eye for a second and then nodded stretching his whole body coiled for transformation.

"I love you" he said beaming. Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't go all soppy on me Potter" she said before she hoisted a now fussing Harry back onto her hip.

And the rest as they say is history.

James had gone to see Sirius who had already sent Marlene and Calla ahead into hiding. James who had no idea where they were going had a sneaking suspicion it might be Sirius's parents house. That might explain the moroseness of his best friend. Had it not been for Marlene and Calla, James knew that Sirius would rather take his chances rather than go back to that death-trap.

They had been enjoying their time together thinking back over Halloween's previously and not talking about the losses or the fact that this might be the last time that they would see each other. They carefully did not mention Remus or the fact that James had chosen Peter over him because of all of the suspicions that had been building. They did not mention Peter who has not been seen in three days having taken the time to convince his elderly mother to go into hiding herself. They did not mention Marlene much or the fact that whilst pregnant she had watched her family die in front of her and had been tortured herself.

Instead they talked about the old days in Hogwarts and about their more laughable pranks when they had been young and stupid and the world had not been as black as it was now.

And that was when it happened.

Remus silver wolf appeared out of nowhere and landed in front of Sirius, it pawed the ground nervously for a second and then the silver mist began to speak.

"Dark Mark over James house. Entering now but no sign of life"

And James Potter did not really register anything after that.

Some nights when he was filled with a deep sort of self-loathing he did remember bits and pieces of that night and what it could have cost him. He remembered moments of it in a perfect wizarding picture kind of clarity.

He remembered his hands shaking so much that Sirius without comment had just grabbed him and taken him to the house with minimal fuss. He remembered Remus his face whiter than it was when it was nearing the full moon and James had realised that while the moon had not shown it's face yet his best friend (and he had been his friend throughout all of it hadn't he?) had stayed at great risk to himself for James.

He remembered Sirius shouting through the rubble. Marlene appearing with Dumbledore a sleeping baby Calla in her arms and her knees giving way when she had seen the rubble. He could remember with perfect clarity the way he had wanted to take Calla from her because how dare she have a baby when his Harry was lost to him beneath all that rubble.

And then James had remembered the crying. It had not been him, it had been a baby. Everyone's eyes had slid to Calla who was sleeping peacefully against her mother's shoulder which could only mean.

"Yes!" Sirius cried scrambling down the steps that had been hastily made that once been James's kitchen table.

He was holding Harry in his arms, an alive Harry, a crying Harry.

His son had survived.

And so had Lily.

Dumbledore had found her underneath the rubble stunned. It had taken three months in St Mungo's for her to wake up from the shock of her house crashing down upon her. Andromeda Tonks, Sirius's cousin who was a healer had told James that sometimes the body weather muggle or magical needed time to cope with injuries. James had not heard a word of it he had been busy raising a baby who had defeated it seemed the darkest wizard of all time, he was busy trying to rebuild both his life and his world and he had been too busy trying to hunt down a man he had called friend who had betrayed him.

But there had been no sight of Peter. There still wasn't.

But Lily had woken up. His family was still alive. His friends—his real friends all lived happy lives in peace. The world was…for now, at peace. His son and his goddaughter were going to Hogwarts the same as their parents had and perhaps they would have an easier time with no war.

A lightening shaped scar wasn't going to change or take that away from him. He had promised himself that when he had held Harry too him as Lily had been placed on a stretcher.

And James found that despite everything he could live with that.

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 **On a side note spelling and grammar is not my strongest suit so there might be some inaccuracies. **

**Also I do hope to become regular in the posting of chapters however with work and uni there might be some delays. **

**Next Chapter-Calla and Harry do accidental magic, Ron comes to tea, and they all receive their Hogwarts letters. **


	2. Split Decision

**And here is chapter two! I want to thank you all for your kind reviews and your favouriting and your following of this story it means a lot.**

 **To anyone who is unsure. Marlene is Marlene McKinnon. She was mentioned as a member of the Original Order of the Phoenix and she was killed along with her entire family by Death Eaters. In some versions of fanfic including my own she is Sirius's other half and Lily's friend. While it is not official cannon it is something I consider as good as so there it is. In this version Marlene lives and she and Sirius have a daughter Calla Isolde Black who this chapter has a point of view from**

 **And I have taken some liberties with the chapters covered as there is no mention of the Dursley's so this is not cannon AU so please keep that in mind when reading.**

 **Next chapter will contain bases from Diagon Alley and Platform 9 and 3 1/4.**

 **Again spelling Is not my strongest suit so any mistakes I apologise.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.**

 **Please Read and Review.**

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And They Lived

Chapter 2-Split Decision

Calla and Harry do accidental magic, Ron comes to tea and they all receive their Hogwarts letters.

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 **Chapters Covered-** _The Vanishing Glass and the Letters from No One. _

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The days following that conversation and that night turned into years and Calla Black and Harry Potter turned from five years to ten both with dark hair. Harry had inherited his mother's bright green eyes while Calla had inherited her mother's dark ones. Bits of accidental magic had been happening all over the place. Harry had turned his Primary School teachers' wig down the Wizard Primary blue and the levitated and Calla had in a fit of disinterest started a fire in a circle on the playing fields that took their teachers six hours to put out because she kept making it stronger.

They had both received punishments for doing that but as Calla had said with such an innocent look on her face nobody could blame them for something that was natural to them.

"Don't try that" Auntie Marlene had said when she had come to floo them home. "You don't think I know that you've been practicing that in your room. I could see the smoke rising from the garden. I go away for a weekend to help my editor with a report on inter-cooperation in Britain and I come back and your father doesn't seem to know why there is a rising smoke cloud near my ivy plants.

Calla had shot a wicked kind of grin at Harry and then she was gone in a wash of green flames.

Auntie Marlene and Uncle Sirius lived in a small part of the Lake District. After the war Marlene McKinnon who had been tortured while pregnant and had lost all of her family by the age that she was twenty-one had wanted some peace and quiet and they had chosen a little stone cottage in the middle of a field surrounded by tall reeds and a small lake. The stars at night came out in their full and there was a wooden decking that went all around the house where in summer Calla Blacks father would take the table out and they would eat in summer.

At night you could hear the animals come out to play and they would put heating charms on the whole house and it was hard for Calla to believe that there had ever been a war. She knew something terrible had, happened to her mum during the war and she suspected that it might have something to do with why she was an only child but whenever her mum got sad her Dad would slide an arm around her waist and say. "Marls…look at what we got" and then she would smile again.

The following day both her Uncle James and Aunt Lily had to work. They were having a birthday dinner at their house that night for Harry's eleventh. Calla had already turned eleven and Ron was also coming. Neville was supposed to but according to her Dad this morning he was at home because his grandmother had told his Great Uncle to drop him out of the window and although he had bounced down the road he was bruised and confused and Mrs Longbottom—Aunt Alice—was not pleased.

Harry however was supposed to come for the morning and Mr Weasley had sent a panicked letter with his old owl (that had needed half an hour to recover before he could fly off again) to ask if they could take Ron for the morning as the twins had been caught trying to create their own gunpowder and his wife was running a bit ragged. Calla was slightly relieved. Harry was a good friend and her cousin but he was easy to be with when Ron was there. Ron and Harry would run around pretending to be famous quidditch players or sometimes they would be owls chasing each other all over the grounds. Both of them were not allowed to use broomsticks whenever they were without supervision since the time Ron had nearly hit a hand-glider with his brother's broomstick.

Calla was relieved though. Ron here meant that she didn't have to play with them that much. She could instead find her comfiest chair on the deck and read her book. She was hoping that once their Hogwarts letters arrived she could have an excuse to go to Diagon Alley and Flourish and Blots.

"Hey Calla" Ron said when he arrived out of the floo network an hour after Harry covered in soot and grinning like some sort of gibbon with two holes for eyes. He rubbed his nose (Ron was always eternally covered in dust) and then wiped his shoes on the rug and then sped off without another word to Harry who had already started running around with his arms outstretched pretending no doubt to be an owl.

"You sure you don't want to go and play with them?" came a voice over her shoulder and she looked up to see her Dad watching her. He usually worked with Uncle James in the Auror department but Uncle Remus had, had a bad full moon and her Dad had, had to take care of him on his own and therefore had come back around three this morning and collapsed into bed and had not been seen before that.

"Mum left you some porridge and she said that it's under a warming charm and she left some sandwiches in the fridge and she also said to have a shower because when you came in you were covered in dog hairs and she said no court would convict her if you got it all on the bedsheets like you did last time"

Her Dad laughed. He waved his wand a couple of times and the porridge came floating over. He was wearing his dressing gown over his jeans and he looked tired.

"So" he said in between mouthfuls. "Why are you not out there planning the next round of mischief with my junior pranksters out there"

Calla paused and then shrugged. "Didn't want to" she said as she turned back to the book feeling rather snappish. It didn't matter weather or not she wanted to play in the mud with Harry and Ron or not. She liked to read and dream away the world reading about places such as America and Paris and the Wizarding Schools that had magical adventures in her books.

Sometimes she felt like she was born to the wrong family. Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon were heroes of the highest order both of them earing the Order of Merlin First Class for their actions in the war against Lord Voldemort. Her parents were tall and loud and outgoing and always quick for a laugh and a joke and they took great delight in pranking each other. It was easy to see her family, her two uncles, her aunt and her parents as school kids, in fact sometimes her mum would say her Dad and Uncle James had never grown up.

Instead she had turned out quiet and bookish disliking noise and while she enjoyed Harry and Ron's company she had always liked it when they returned back to their little house where all she could hear at night where the crickets chirping.

Sometimes she wondered if her Dad was ever disappointed in the child that she had turned out to be. Maybe if she did things that were more adventurous she would be out there discussing all the pranks that she Harry and Ron would be putting into action. Instead she was letting them have all the fun. She burrowed slightly into the blanket. The day was hot for August but suddenly she felt very cold indeed.

"Cal?" her Dad asked finishing his porridge and waving his wand at the paper it floated over lazily and he began to read his scowl deepening every so often. He peered over the edge of the newspaper to stare at her. Calla started looking over at him and noticing the slight concern in his grey eyes so very unlike her own.

"I'm fine Dad. I want to finish this book before our Hogwarts letters arrive and then when we go to Flourish and Blotts I want to pick up some more. I don't want to go to Hogwarts without knowing the facts. Unlike some people" she scowled a little bit in the direction of Harry and Ron who were now making something out of mud that looked…strange…

Her Dad laughed again. "Don't worry. Everyone's a novice when they start Hogwarts. And I suppose you may as well do some history reading on magic when you get there. Merlin knows if Dumbledore still has Binns employed then that's the only real learning in History of Magic that you will do before the exams.

Finally he took her mum's quill and ink that was on the table and then he turned to the crossword. She wanted to ask him would it matter to him If she turned out to be a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff rather than a Gryffindor or if Merlin forbid she ended up like her Aunt Andromeda and ended up in Slytherin. Her father had a dim view of anyone who wore the green snake even though her Aunt Lily would tell him that not everyone who was in Slytherin was evil.

Calla didn't know what that meant because she always noticed that her Uncle James, Remus and her Mum and Dad would suddenly become immersed in the woodwork or their plates.

However she didn't want to disappoint her Dad so she put down her book marked the page and then stood up and ran down the decking into the fields where Harry and Ron were still mucking around in the mud.

She pretended that she didn't see the smile on her Dad's face or feel the hurt that she felt when she saw how bright it was.

"Hey Calla" Ron said looking up from where he was fashioning what looked like a mud ball in his hands. It looked like they had been throwing mud at each other and Calla wondered if when she did get to Hogwarts there would be someone who would prefer to spend time with books rather than throwing mud and snow and playing quidditch. She shook her head.

"Hey Ron. Don't throw mud at me"

"Ah but it's fun" Harry said and then with a wicked kind of grin at Ron Weasley, Calla took off running.

There was a splat as the first mud ball hit her but she managed three good shots of her own before it happened.

Harry had managed to chase his way up the decking. Her Dad had finished with the crossword and was now worrying over the word-search and she bit her lip as she passed him into the kitchen.

"Not the rug Harry, your Aunt will kill me" he said as he turned to the page and started chewing at the end of his quill.

Harry with a war cry threw himself through the window.

But wait. That was not right because the window had glass.

It had vanished.

"Cool" said Ron looking at the glass that had gone from disappearing to reappearing instantly.

Calla had to admit that it was. Damn Harry Potter upstaging her at every chance he got—oh just wait until she got to Hogwarts and she upstaged him.

There was a pause where she stood there and looked at the glass that had vanished and then reappeared. Ron who had turned his brother's broomstick (the other one who hadn't turned his teddy into a spider) into a chopping board and used it to whack George over the head and then had caused a dinner plate to mutate into a large mushroom and have no idea how he had caused it but had known he had wanted to try again.

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Later that night they returned back to Godric's Hollow for Harry's birthday tea. It seemed that Neville was up to coming and the Weasley's, the Blacks and all the other friends of the Potters had descended upon Godric's Hollow for a sumptuous meal of chicken and chips and veal and ham pie brought by Mrs Weasley who had insisted that she could not turn up to a meal without cooking something as her children would eat the Potters out of house and home.

After a great chocolate cake, Calla lost sight of Harry in the midst of all the excitement that was the Weasley twins deciding to race each other on their brooms around the trees while her Dad gave them beating tips. Uncle James was in a deep conversation with Mr Weasley and her mum was talking to Mr Tonks so Calla decided to slip down to the edge of the back-yard where Harry was out of sight.

He was talking to someone as she approached and she paused before pressing forwards and then she stopped dead.

He was talking to a snake.

"Hey Cal" he said not looking up. "You frightened him off". She watched for a second the snake dipping through the wooden fencing and down into the grass.

"Good" Calla said standing there. She had never liked snakes.

Harry shook his head as an almighty shout came out and Ron came running down the path parchment in hand followed closely by Neville who was panting as if he was not used to this amount of physical fitness.

"We got it!" he shouted jumping up and down. "We got in!"

And there they were. Four letters. One to Neville Longbottom. One to Ronald Weasley. One to Calla Black and the other to Harry Potter. Four Hogwarts letter right down to the green ink.

"Were going to Hogwarts!" Harry shouted and even Calla couldn't hide her grin as Ron hugged her and Neville started cheering. Hogwarts, finally.

Life had never seemed this good.

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 **And there it is, I hope you all enjoyed and I promise I will try and update as soon as I can.**

 **Next Chapter-As Calla and Harry go to Diagon Alley they meet a strange man in Olivander and another boy called Draco Malfoy. Two days later they board the train to Hogwarts.**

 **And let me know what you think **


	3. Against All Enemies

**And here is another chapter! I have cut some stuff out of this chapter and will post it a bit more in the fourth chapter so the next one might be longer. I hope to get two more chapters posted before I go back to uni but please keep that in mind.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just certain characters in this story.**

 **If there are any continuity issues in this chapter I apologise.**

 **Please Read and Review.**

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And They Lived

Chapter 3-Against All Enemies

As Calla and Harry go to Diagon Alley they meet a strange man noted as the wandmaker Olivander and another boy by the moniker of Draco Malfoy. Two days later they go to board the train to Hogwarts.

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 **Chapters Covered-** _Diagon Alley and a bit of Platform 9 ¾ _

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Harry was waiting in the Leaky Cauldron tapping his foot impatiently. His Dad was reading the Daily Prophet and scoffing at some anti-werewolf legislation that some woman called Umbridge was proposing. His mother was sipping her tea and reading one of her muggle books. Harry knew it wasn't a wizards book because there were no moving pictures. He had no idea who this Jane Austen was but his mother was smiling as she re-read all the battered book.

They were waiting for Uncle Sirius, Auntie Marlene and Calla and had been waiting for an hour. Harry was feeling impatient. They were in Diagon Alley. They were going to get wands for Merlin's sake and his godfather couldn't be on time? Honestly how was this his life? Uncle Remus was not coming with them but he had, had a rather nasty full moon and had to stay at home for the weekend which Harry supposed more than a good enough excuse. Calla however had none.

Just when he decided that he was going to ask his father if he could go on without them (serves Calla right) the fireplace exploded in green and Calla Black came out scowling clad in what had once been a clean green skirt and red jumper her boots clacking on the flagstones, her dark hair loose out of the two plats it was in and her face smudged with soot.

"Mother and father are coming" she said sitting down next to Harry. "They had a row this morning and then of course they had to go into the bedroom to make up though why they had to do that I don't know. Either way I don't want to wait anymore" She eyed Harry's Dad for a second.

"Sure I cannot move in with you Uncle James? Otherwise I think I shall go quite mad, like Azkaban mad"

Harry's Dad laughed and then turned the corner of his paper folding it in two.

"No sorry kiddo. House is already full with Harry in and anyway, you'll be going to Hogwarts soon"

The floo network turned green again and Auntie Marlene climbed out followed by Uncle Sirius who were both shooting the other dark looks and brushing soot off themselves.

"Calla I told you not to do the floo network without me" Auntie Marlene said waving her wand. Calla instantly became clean again.

Calla opened her mouth probably to reply (Uncle Sirius always did say Cal had been given her mother's temper at birth) but Uncle Sirius gave a small cough and she fell silent turning to scowl at a passing goblin who bared his teeth back.

"Lets go" Mum said and Harry jumped up. He was getting a wand.

It almost made up for the lack of broomstick.

Almost.

He swallowed bitterly at that as they exited the pub and entered the alley. This was not the first time he had been there. He had seen the rows upon rows of shops with their gleaming windows before and this time was no exception. All over there were children with their parents getting Hogwarts stuff. They had left theirs to the last week of term because both his Dad and his Uncle had to work hard not only to catch the remaining Death Eaters that were on the run but also because they were both spending more time than usual trying to oppose the new werewolf legislation that had the financial backing of Lucius Malfoy whoever he was.

After a quick spin around Gringotts in which Harry felt slightly sick afterwards and two trips to two different vaults they were back outside in the sunshine. He noticed that both Calla and Auntie Marlene looked very pale. Calla he knew was not a fan of dark enclosed spaces and he suspected his Aunt might have been involved in dark spaces during the war but he was never given a straight answer to any questions that were asked about the first war and what his parents did to bring the wrath of Voldemort (as Harry had taken to calling him—his Dad did after all) down upon them all.

It was then that Harry realised his mother was one of the best people in the world. Perhaps realising how impatient her son was she smiled. "James why don't you and Sirius take the kids to get their wands and Marlene and I will handle anything else. We can meet in Flourish and Blotts when were done and Calla can get her library together"

Calla grinned and Harry noted that when his kind of cousin grinned, and really meant it, it lit up her whole face. He noticed his Aunt Marlene shoot a grateful look to his mum. She looked like she needed to sit down Harry thought. One quick round of kisses between the grown ups and they were gone the four of them going down the street until they got to the dark shop with golden painted letters that Harry had never been in. After all—how many wizards needed to replace their wands in their lifetimes?

There was a tinkling sound of a bell and then Harry saw loads of boxes packed around the walls. There were more wands here than anyone could sell in their lifetime and he wondered why Mr Olivander did not stop when he had made enough.

But whatever Harry was thinking ended quickly when there was the sound of a moving ladder and the strangest man he had ever met came into view.

He didn't even have to look at Calla to see her eyebrows were raised in surprise. He could feel them from where he was standing.

* * *

Sirius and James had taken a seat next to the door on two spindly chairs that looked as if they had not been replaced since the shop had first been opened. Olivander had taken measurements of both their children and then had decided to start with Calla who was now trying out her first wand. Considering his daughter made one half of the shelf collapse Sirius supposed that wasn't the one.

"Are you alright?" he asked James who had a rather pensive look on his face. His best friend shrugged.

"I think it just hit me how quiet the house is going to be when they go" he whispered and Sirius nodded. He too had been wondering just how he and Marlene were going to live without Calla. They had never really had time to be in relationship before her. They had been academic rivals all through years six and seven at school, fighters in the Order, passionate lovers and then they had been parents. Hell they had been broken up when Marlene had lost her whole family, been tortured while pregnant and had been thought dead by some idiot Death Eater (properly a kid) and had the presence of mind to try to get herself to St Mungo's got it wrong midway and had ended up in one piece on the doorstep of a horrified and surprised Molly Weasley. They had gotten back together in the aftermath of that but they had never discussed some of the bigger questions like marriage. Instead they had muddled along both in war and in peace.

Then there had been a pregnancy and Calla and for eleven years that had been their day to day lives.

It wasn't that he didn't love Marlene because he did. It was that he didn't know how to go back to the kids they had been before the war. Where they had been inseparable and desperate for each other.

But to be fair he thought that perhaps James had the same problem not that they talked about the war. Even now talking out Peter, suspecting Remus and what they had both nearly lost was still too painful.

James sighed again. "Any news" he muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "The lead in Leeds?"

Sirius shook his head. "No. Dead end. But he's out there somewhere James. And I know it"

James nodded his jaw tense. There was another unspoken secret between the three of them, him James and Remus that they did not let their families know about and that was the fact that they were still looking for Peter. What they were going to do with him when they caught up with him Sirius didn't know but as Remus pointed out they had to actually find him first before they could do anything.

"Yes" came a thin cry next to them and Sirius was pulled out of his thoughts to see his daughter dancing around the room joy in her face with a wand in her hand. It was moments like that he thought watching her, that were worth the pain and the guilt and the overbearing need sometimes to keep Calla safe and locked away from where the world could hurt her. Oh sometimes he thought he was going to have a heart attack on account of how much he loved her.

Calla smiled at him. "Thirteen inches, cherrywood with dragon heartstring" she said jumping around "Long, elegant and good—not unlike myself—for charms and transfiguration"

"Excellent" Sirius said taking the wand to look it over. It was smooth and darker than his own wand and longer than Marlene's and it had a nice feel to it. The handle was carved with circles around the edge. Calla was holding a flower crown that she had apparently conjured out of thin air and she placed it atop her head as Sirius passed the wand back to her.

So engaged was he with his daughter becoming a real wizard after only seven tries with a wand he didn't realise Harry was still going.

"Tricky" Mr Olivander breathed looking delighted and he all but scampered back to the back of the room. James rolled his eyes.

"It would have to be you son wouldn't it?" he said grinning.

And then Mr Olivander came back with a pensive look on his face and a wand in his fingers and Sirius felt James stiffen next to him.

* * *

"It would have to be my son wouldn't it" James muttered as they walked back up the street wands in hand. Sirius couldn't blame him for looking annoyed. Had it been his daughter whose wand had been a brother or sister of Voldemort he wouldn't have been pleased either.

"And all that crap about him being great" James hissed as the kids ran up ahead of them.

Sirius shook his head knowing what his friend was thinking and knowing it to be not true in the slightest. This was a conversation you needed Remus for he thought sighing.

"You and I both know that, that's not what he meant. He's too like Dumbledore, cryptical to the last word. He probably meant the magic he was capable of was good and considering what he did in the time he did it in he might have a point"

James scowled. "Lily is going to love this" he said as they entered the bookshop.

It was of course insanity. Books and children and people clustered around the tills. He lost sight of Calla who went straight into the shelves like a niffler on the hunt for gold. Harry eventually went off to look at books about quidditch and he, Marlene, James and Lily were left in a corner.

James was right. Lily was not best pleased by the wand either.

* * *

Calla was just about to pick up a copy of 'A Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts' when she felt someone bump into her.

"Sorry" the other girl said picking up her books. "It's mad in here isn't it? So much to read though. My father is making me stop at five extra books but it's like choosing weather or not to spare my arms and legs" she spoke rather fast and she was wearing an old green jumper and pleated skirt. She had very bushy brown hair and her teeth were a bit longer than necessary.

"Yes" Calla said. She was unsure what to say so she decided with the truth. "I am sure I am going to be teased by my family but all I want to do is get some reading done before I get there. I don't want to be behind"

"Do you have magical parents?" the girl asked her head tilted to the side. Calla nodded.

"I don't. My parents are dentist. They work on mug…muggle's teeth" she elaborated. "I don't think I'll know anything, I didn't know I had magic until a few months ago"

"Oh don't worry about that" Calla said pleased she could answer some questions. "Were not allowed wands until we go to Hogwarts and a lot of magic is wand based. Everyone will be starting from scratch"

The girl looked incredibly relieved at that and then smiled. Calla smiled too.

"Do you have brothers and sisters at Hogwarts?" she asked. Calla shook her head.

"Only child."

"Me too." The girl interrupted looking thrilled. "Do you know how we are to get onto the platform? I don't know"

Calla nodded when there was a drawling voice behind her.

"Muggleborns"

She turned and rolled her eyes. It was Draco Malfoy. Calla knew him because she suspected that she was related to him in some way despite her father being disowned ' _ten_ _times_ _over_ _before_ _breakfast'_ as he would say.

"Go home Malfoy" she said scathingly.

Draco Malfoy slammed his book shut and then dropped it on the floor.

"Blood Traitors and Muggle Borns" he said looking Calla up and down. "Why my mother wants me at Hogwarts I will never know"

And then he was gone.

"Rude" the girl said watching him. "Friend of yours?"

"More like the family you cannot get rid of" Calla said and got a nod of understanding in return.

"Cal" came a voice behind her and she turned to see her Dad coming towards her brushing his hair out of his eyes. She shot the girl a look because all girls seemed to come over rather faint when her Dad did that but the girl didn't look remotely bothered.

"What did ferret junior want? Did he upset you?"

"Nothing and no" Calla said. "Dad this is…er…"

"Hermione Granger" the girl answered promptly.

"Yeah, she's muggleborn and she wondering how to get onto the platform at King's Cross"

Her Dad beamed at them both and then began to explain steering them towards the shop doorway and to where Hermione's parents were standing by the door looking around in wonder. Hermione looked happier and she turned with her books in her hand to walk to the counter. Calla smiled at her.

"Perhaps we shall meet up on the train?" the other girl said and Calla paused. "I'd like that" she said finding it to be true. Hermione smiled and Calla smiled back.

She turned back to see her Dad beaming at her.

"What?" she asked handing him her books.

"Nothing" he said finally. "It's just good to see you smile"

Dad's Calla thought, were a very strange people.

* * *

It was strange to think that years ago it had been her standing there on the platform having no clue what was going on or what was going to happen. Back then she had been young and foolish and full of the naïve hope that she could mend things with her sister. That Slytherin was the best house out of the Hogwarts four and Severus and she were going to be friends forever.

Lily could only hope that her old friend was still enough of a man not to take his anger out on James and Sirius on their children but considering she had seen the Dark Mark tattooed on his arm she didn't think so.

Harry had ran and found Ron Weasley who was with his brothers and his sister and Neville Longbottom was also in their little group stroking a toad while his grandmother was in conversation with James. Lily felt a hot flash of both anger and pain as she usually did when she looked at Neville Longbottom. Alice and Frank had both been in their year, had been both in James and Lily's dorms and they had been at each other's wedding, each other's houses, in the order. It made her sick when she thought about what had happened.

Augusta had more backbone Lily thought that most of the Ministry combined.

She didn't say anything as she felt James hand in hers. This was the moment she had waited for that they had both waited for. That she and James had gone into hiding for. To see Harry off to school one day and wave him goodbye. She caught Marlene's expression and noted that her best friend was looking rather bright in her eyes. She had to look away.

The moment had been ruined however by James telling her the night before she was to send her son to school that Gringotts had been broken into. The Philosopher's Stone was something she had long believed to be a myth but if what James had told her was true then someone was after it.

But as James had also told her the only man that they could trust to lead the fight against darkness was Dumbledore. As long as he was in charge of Hogwarts and therefore in charge of the stone then she was content to let her son go there.

There was a pause where she stood there gripping her husband's arm lost in the same memories she knew he was.

Calla and Harry were back in their line of sight and Lily hugged her son goodbye. He curled into her side like he had done when he was a baby and then he hugged James who buried his face into the dark hair so they were almost alike in those few seconds.

Calla hugged both Marlene and Sirius dithering a bit longer with her Dad than anyone else. Both of them hugged Remus who had been standing there slightly bemused by the hugs that he was getting (Lily's already battered heart took another beating at that) and then the two of them were climbing onto the train, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom in tow. And then they were moving.

It was too fast, for Lily, for James for any of them who had hugged their children close and tried to imagine a world where they could survive.

She felt James hand slip around her waist though weather or not that was for her or for him she didn't know.

"He'll be alright" Lily said to her husband as she blinked back the tears that came when her son disappeared from sight to the great big world.

"I know" was all James said.

Lily wanted so desperately to believe him. She clutched him just a little bit harder and she pressed her face into his shoulder. She was aware of Sirius and Remus and Marlene standing there next to her.

She could not help but feel that there was some terrible forlornness in saying goodbye to her son but Lily supposed that she had at least been able to do that when so many people she had known had not. Oh there had been so many people Alice and Frank just the tip of the tower.

No. Lily was going to choose hope in this moment. Regardless of what James said or believed she was going to choose hope. She was going to believe that her son, her goddaughter, her whole world was going to have a good year at Hogwarts. A perfectly normal, Voldemort free one.

(Oh how very wrong she was)

* * *

 **And there is the third chapter. I hope you all enjoy and I will try and update as soon as I can. Next chapter will finish chapters such as The Journey from Platform 9 3/4, The Sorting Hat and a little bit of The Potions Master (but just a little of the chapter)**

 **Next Chapter-Calla meets a friend on the train but the boys dont like her. McGonagall is surprised and world weary at the thought of teaching another Black and Potter. The Sorting Hat sorts and Snape is furious and more than a little in pain. **


	4. The House That Built Me

**Hi, so here is another chapter, this one again covers a lot of information and also does change some plot details in the book around but other than that I hope you all enjoy. I would like to say one more chapter will be posted before school starts so...**

 **Also the 'Fab Four' as I mentioned it IS Harry, Ron, Hermione and Calla. While Neville is a big part of their childhood he is still got the same status as he does in the first book-AKA a very good friend but not a close one. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Calla are the four main characters at Hogwarts in this story. Neville will be in the next chapter as he was in the book but that is it really.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.**

 **Please Read and Review.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 4-The House That Built Me

Calla meets a friend on the train but the boys don't like her. McGonagall is surprised and world weary at the thought of teaching another Black and a Potter. The Sorting Hat sorts and Snape is furious and more than a little in pain and bits of the puzzle come together.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** _The Journey from Platform 9 ¾ , The Sorting Hat and The Potions Master. _

* * *

They were seated on the train. Her, Harry and Ron. Neville had gone to find some people that he knew from his own time in Diagon Alley (Augusta having the sense to take her grandson at least a week before the train) and therefore the three of them sat down. Calla pulled the Standard Book of Spells Grade One out of her bag sat down and read for a while. Of course peace was something she never got whenever Harry and Ron were in the same room and this time they were recounting their run in with Hagrid outside Gringotts the day they were in Diagon Alley, so eventually she took her bag and told them that she was going to find Neville.

Of course she doubted that they even heard her. She growled as she slammed the door shut but she was still ignored. Typical.

She was walking down the hallway ducking around other pupils when the door to a compartment on the left flew open and Calla was nearly knocked into a seventh year. The seventh year winked at her and then straightened her up again and then turned to talk to his friends. Calla turned to the compartment and saw Hermione Granger beaming.

"Hello" she said looking enthusiastic and Calla smiled. "I'm Hermione Granger, we met in Diagon Alley"

"I remember" Calla said holding out her hand. "I'm Calla Black"

"Are you" Hermione said shaking her hand. "Oh you're the daughter of Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon I read about you in a book I got on the first Order of the Phoenix.

"Oh" said Calla who wasn't sure what to say to that. Hermione let go of her hand and then gestured with her head to the door. "Do you want to come in"

"Err…ok"

In actual fact it was a nice way to pass a few hours. Hermione had also been studying the Standard Book of Spells Grade One book and her wand which was ten and ¾ vine wood with dragon heartstring was strong and subtle. She had already begun learning some small spells and they spent an hour broken only a few chocolate frogs and liquorice wands trying to learn how to levitate objects.

The door opened and Harry came in followed by Ron clutching his old rat Scabbers. Calla had never liked that thing. Personally she thought that rats were strange pets and whenever she or her family were round at the Burrow the thing was never there so you never knew if he was under your bed or not. Either way Calla didn't like the damn rat and she got the distinct feeling that the rat didn't like her.

She assumed Harry had left his owl Hedwig in the compartment. She had been a present from Uncle James and Aunt Lily. Her Dad had asked her if she wanted one but she didn't. All she wanted was her books, something that she suspected might be a source of disappointment to her father who had long since wanted a child who could be a genius prankster. She had wanted nothing to do with loud noises or things like that. Calla suspected that was why she might be a source of disappointment her father (suspected—either way she could live with a suspicion—she had never actually confirmed it and never wanted to)

"Hey Cal" Harry said eyeing Hermione with interest. "Were going to get changed, were going to be arriving soon, where were you? We were having a conversation about quidditch?"

"Yeah, because quidditch has always been a passion of mine" Calla said. Hermione laughed and Calla had to look away flushing with pleasure. It had been a long time since someone had laughed at her jokes.

"This is Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger, this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley"

She let Hermione do most of the talking. From what she had experienced it was not the first time that, the other girl had talked fast. It was if the words were spilling out of Hermione tripping over each other in their haste to be free. Calla who sometimes felt like that wondered if it was perhaps something to do with having nobody who understood you.

She caught the slightly dumbfounded expression on Harry's face and the outright annoyed one on Ron's and suspected that they were not as enamoured with Hermione Granger and her clever words and her need to learn as their professors would be.

All too soon however they were getting of the train and Hagrid was there to take them to the boats and then to the castle.

* * *

"Black, Calla"

The voice of the Deputy Headmistress cut through the crowd and Minerva McGonagall had no trouble spotting the child of Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon anymore than she had trouble spotting James Potter's son. They were stood together two dark heads against a sea of other colours. Calla Black looked at her as he called out her name stepping closer to the chair.

She was not terrified as Marlene had been, nor was she resigned as Sirius had been. She seemed resolute. She looked Minerva thought more like her mother than her father but there was a quiet pensive look to her that reminded her of the girls father whenever Walburga Black had made an unwelcome appearance. Dreadful woman. Minerva was unashamed to admit if only to herself she had been glad when she had gotten the news that, that...woman...had died.

Calla Black sat on the stool and Minerva dropped the hat. It covered most of the girls face and most of her dark hair and she stepped back hoping against hope that Severus Snape never figured out how badly she wanted Black and Potter in her house.

She didn't dare chance a look at the man. Considering his houses history with the Black Family she was willing to bet a months salary that the man had all of his fingers and toes crossed willing that the girl didn't end up in his house.

Potter she knew with a relish would be hers. And Weasley…she hoped Longbottom and that Granger girl she had introduced to the Wizarding World on that bright August day intrigued her as well.

But she had to admit, despite all the grief they had caused themselves, she wanted another Black and Potter in her house.

 _"_ _Interesting"_ said the voice in her head. _"Your suited for all four. Loyalty that would make you an asset to Hufflepuff, a keen intelligence for my Ravenclaw friends, a streak of wild independence like your father and his before him and bravery…oh there is bravery Miss Black"_

Calla waited patiently.

 _"_ _No opinion?"_ the voice said slyly.

 _"_ _I don't want to wear green"_ she thought desperately. _"My Dad might kill me. He wants a brave kid, a kid like him, he and mum…they want fighters and jokers and people willing to step up to the mark…like themselves."_

 _"_ _Ah. Fighters come in all shapes and sizes"_ the hat said thoughtfully….well…what sounded like thoughtful _. "And one day Miss Black I imagine you might realise how special indeed you are to your parents. But…well…a gamble might be best, Merlin knows your own father was perhaps my greatest gamble yet…GRYFFINDOR."_

Calla thought she might collapse in relief.

* * *

Three nights Hermione Granger was getting dressed for bed when Calla Black came out of the dormitory bathroom her face still wet from where she had run a wet cloth on it. They were sharing a dormitory with three other girls by the name of Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and Fay Dunbar and the lot of them were finally getting around to unpacking. Turns out there was a lot of stuff to take when you went away to school for the year.

"Did you hear?" she said as Calla tacked a photo on the wall of what Hermione supposed were her parents.

"Someone broke into Gringotts"

Calla turned so sharply her dark braid went flying across one shoulder. Hermione nodded and passed her the newspaper article. Calla took it and read it once looked around and then dragged Hermione back to her own bed and sat down dragging the curtains around her. The two of them bent their heads and read the words. Then Calla sighed.

"That day" she said quietly. "We went to Diagon Alley. It was the day we met. I didn't think much of it but now…Harry and Ron told me on the train they ran into Hagrid. Hagrid told them he was on Hogwarts buisness. In Gringotts."

"And the vault had been emptied that very same day" Hermione pointed out. Oh she did love a puzzle.

"And my Dad always told me that Hogwarts is the safest place in the world. With the exception of Gringotts. So someone moved the package…they must have known it was going to be robbed"

"And brought it here?"

"Must have" Calla said. "Dumbledore must have it. But I'll write to Dad in the morning and ask. Mum too"

Hermione nodded. It was nice to have a friend like Calla. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley less so. Calla spent most of the day with them but in the night they would work on their homework together and share books and stories. Calla Black was the first real friend that Hermione had ever had.

"We have potions first thing tomorrow. Harry and Ron are going to Hagrid's afterwards. I'll tag along and then meet you in the library…providing we don't have detention"

"Why would Professor Snape give you detention on your first class?" Hermione asked genuinely confused.

Calla gave a wry smile. "Let's just say Hermione that there is some…history between my Dad, Harry's and Professor Snape. And that I think he might be the kind of teacher that would hold a very long and nasty grudge. But…" she stared up at the canopy. "I might be wrong"

(This time tomorrow night however Hermione knew she had not been wrong in the slightest)

* * *

If Severus Snape didn't know better he would say that Black wasn't her fathers daughter but really a love child between Marlene McKinnon and Remus Lupin. He had been dreading teaching Potter and Black and was determined to make their lives as much as hell like as their father's had made his.

The problem was everytime Potter looked at him he saw Lily's eyes and Black had inherited Marlene's skill at potions so he couldn't humiliate her. Hell once or twice when Potter had been talking with Weasley (Another one! That family bred like gnomes) she had elbowed him. Actually told Potter to shut up and pay attention! By the end of the first half hour Severus wondered if he had fallen into an alternate dimension and had to remind himself sternly that those places only existed in the minds of people like his fellow educator (and the reason he was in this mess) Sibyl.

However by the end of the lesson having deducted two points of Potter for laughing, having ensured Frank Longbottom's son (he didn't like what happened to the boys parents make no mistake, but Frank had done nothing to reign in that bloody foursome when as prefect Severus knew he could have) was hopeless at potions as his father had been and admitting defeat to himself in the case of Calla Black and Hermione Granger getting good marks regardless he felt a little bit better. Potter was mediocre as his father, the only thing he had of Lily was his eyes and he could hate the boy in peace. Black was her mother's daughter but Severus was sure if he searched his memory long and hard enough he would find an instance where he dislike Marlene McKinnon and all would be well.

Dumbledore who had asked to see him had not found this explanation justified.

"What about the Calla Black?" he asked after Severus had, had a very long and rather productive tirade against Harry Potter, James Potter and all Potters in general. "Does she have her father's qualities?"

"No" he grudgingly admitted. "In fact she's more like Lupin than anything else. Isn't a terrible potions brewer, tries to keep Potter in line and actually has read a textbook"

"You sound surprised" Dumbledore said looking at him with that twinkle in his eye Severus detested.

"Don't think that means I'm going to like them Dumbledore. I'm sure the girl will do something that will remind me of her father at some point. Now…is there a reason I am here?"

"Yes" Dumbledore said turning back to his copy of Transfiguration Today. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Quirrell for me?"

"Why?" Severus asked already feeling a Dumbledore shaped headache coming on.

Dumbledore put down his magazine

* * *

"Hagrid" Calla said as they were sitting down to tea and rock cakes. "The vault in Gringotts that was broken into…did you see anything suspicious?"

Harry choked on his rock cake. Ron looked astounded which was surprising because Ron actually read the Daily Prophet from time to time where as Harry had never seen the point in it.

Hagrid smiled at Calla. "Oh it's worth more than my job to tell you that Cal" he said beaming.

"Oh" Calla said with a feigned nonchalance. "I was just wondering weather or not Dumbledore thought Gringotts was still safe. I mean…I know he trusts you above all others"

Hagrid went pink with pride. Harry had to admire Calla's flattery skills. If only she could help him with a prank from time to time they would never catch him or Ron.

"Oh well…I suppose….if it puts your mind at rest…I did empty that vault for Dumbledore but I don't know what was in it or where it went mind!"

Calla beamed at him. Harry shot Ron a look but before they could ask anything Calla had turned the conversation to Snape and why he disliked them so much. It wasn't like Harry knew that there had been some conflicts between his father and his potions master but there was something about the way Hagrid was looking that made him suspicious.

Perhaps there was more to the story?

"What the bloody hell was all that about?" Ron asked as they walked back up to the castle.

Calla told them what she had read.

"Oh" Ron said finally. "I wondered what had Dad worried before we left. Breaking into Gringotts requires powerful dark magic"

Calla nodded and the two of them had a discussion all the way back to the castle about what could be so important that Dumbledore would want it in safekeeping. Harry occasionally chimed in but if he was being honest with himself his thoughts were occupied with his potions master and the way he had stared at him as if he loathed Harry more than anything else in the world.

Was there something he thought as they went to dinner, that his Dad wasn't telling him about his relationship with Professor Snape and if so then what? What could be so damning that he wouldn't tell Harry? He and his Dad had always told each other everything.

He thought about it all that night, thinking hard about weather or not he should say that his scar had hurt for the first time since he had, had it when he had looked at Snape talking with Professor Quirrell at the Welcoming Feast, but when he fell asleep another dream replaced the one before, and all of his questions. This one had not only Snape in it but a cruel, cold high laugh that Harry could have sworn he had heard once before.

* * *

 **And there it is-I hope you enjoy and the next chapter will be posted as soon as I have written it. **

**Next Chapter-Covered-The Midnight Duel-Sirius and James receive letters from their children, James is very excited and Marlene thinks upon past events. Meanwhile at school, Harry is the youngest seeker in a century, Calla is exasperated and she, Hermione, Ron and a reluctant Neville are engaged in a duel that turns out not to be a duel. **


	5. Reading The Signs

**Hi, so here is another chapter and hopefully I will be able to bring you the next one sooner rather than later. With the publication of this one however I can confirm that there are only ten more chapters left of this story.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just these characters and the plot manipulation.**

 **I have tried to keep this as much my own as possible and therefore I have changed some dialogue as not to discredit the wonder that is J.K. Rowling.**

 **Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 5- Reading The Signs

Sirius and James receive letters from their children. James is very excited and Marlene thinks upon past events. Meanwhile at school Harry is the youngest seeker in a century, Calla is exasperated and she, Harry, Ron, Hermione and a very reluctant Neville are embroiled in a duel that turns out not to be a duel at all.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** The Midnight Duel.

* * *

Sirius had been making a cup of tea at his cottage in the middle of the Lake District when there was a tap on the window. He looked up to see one of the Hogwarts owls tapping on the window and he felt his whole body unclench. Some habits were hard to let go and the knew from his own experience that the coiling of his body whenever he thought someone was coming near his house was one of them.

He opened the kitchen window and took the letter of the owl. It was Calla's handwriting and he smiled. It had been nearly two weeks and he had been slightly worried if he was being honest with himself. Harry had already written to James but…well…Cal had always been her own woman.

"Marls" he yelled up the stairs to the woman….the only woman that he had ever loved. "Calla wrote"

There was a bang, several curse words and then Marlene McKinnon clad only in his shirt and a pair of lace underwear came down the stairs her hair wet and dark against her pale skin.

"Fuck McKinnon."

"Up yours Black" Marls said grinning at him. "Go on read it."

Sirius nodded and ripped open the parchment. He read the words for a second and then let out a whoop that Marlene nearly drop the spoon of sugar that she was spooning into her tea with a wild kind of abandon.

"She's a lion like you and me" he said all but dancing around the kitchen.

"You know that" Marlene deadpanned. "Harry told you. You and James cracked open a bottle of champagne and drank like you were in your teens again"

"I know but it's still nice to hear it from the dragons mouth"

Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Oh" Sirius said stopping and raising his eyebrows. "She says here that she's made a new friend. A girl Hermione Granger, a muggle born and that they spend a lot of time reading in the library together."

"Good" his partner said not looking up from her tea. "It's good for Calla to have a friend her own age and you know it. It's not like she's—" and then she cut herself off and Sirius knew what she was going to say but before he could say anything she had taken two quick gulps of tea and then had all but ran up the stairs and into their bedroom before Sirius could tell that her eyes had become dark and misty again as she relived some of the worst memories of her life.

Marlene took a deep breath as she look around their room. It was a smaller room than she, had had back during that time that she and Sirius had been kipping at Potter Manor during their wartime days. The Potters-James's parents had been outspoken in their hatred of Voldemort and the Death Eaters and they had opened up their doors not only to Sirius but to Remus, Marlene, Lily and anyone else who had needed to hide from them. On more than one occasion, she and the marauders, Lily and the partnership that was Caradoc and Benjy had spent many a time in the manor trying to pretend that the war wasn't going on with stupid things like Lily's muggle board games and several bottles of gin.

There room in their little cottage that was still charmed to the hilt when it came to protection was small with a half of the roof caved into their ceiling, their bed was large and they had sperate draws and other spaces in which Marlene could keep her books and Sirius could keep his quidditch memorabilia that he and James had collected over the years. Calla's room had been overlooking the field and life had been peaceful. Except for when it was not.

Marlene McKinnon could not deny that she was damaged in a way that very few Order of the Phoenix members were not. There had been death and blood and pain and tears along the way but she imagined few could say that they had seen their family tortured and killed in front of them. Well…there had always been Edgar Bones but he had died defending his family so she couldn't ask him if he had ever gotten over the nightmares and the pain of the wand turned on her. She had, had a sneaking suspicion that she had been pregnant then but she had not confirmed it. She had, had her hands on her stomach as she had been tortured and kicked about and treated like dirt at least until the Order had arrived and then she had been in St Mungo's for months watching her belly grow with her daughter who had survived, tougher than the rest of the world, despite all the pain.

Sirius had been more of a godsend to her in those months than anything and then they had, had Calla and Marlene had been preoccupied with both raising their daughter and preparing to go into hiding until the war was over. James had made Peter his Secret Keeper, Dumbledore was to be theres. Both of them had, had children and she suspected the only reason Sirius had gone into hiding with them in the first place was because of Calla.

But that didn't change what the shock, the torture and the birth had done. Marlene would never conceive again. She would never have a period again, the torture and the extensive curses Bellatrix Lestrange had put on her had made sure of that. The chance of childbirth was gone. Lily had not wanted to conceive since the attack on her house either but Lily at least had an option. Marlene who had come from a big family and wanted a big family was not allowed that option.

"Don't get yourself upset over it" came a voice from the doorway and she looked up from her earrings to see Sirius leaning against the doorway. The look on his face was on of such painful understanding that there was no point in even attempting to hide what she was thinking about.

"I'm glad that she's got friends" Marlene said quietly and finally and it was the undisputed truth. Calla was too serious for her own good and all the children from the Order had been boys. Harry, Ron, Neville. Even Ginny Weasley who was only a year younger than Calla had been more into making mud hills as a child than reading books in the corner.

"I know, so am I. Even if the house is sometimes too quiet"

"Sirius—"

"Hey" he said gently reaching out with one finger to drag the pad of it across the back of her hand. "If I told you once I must have told you a thousand times Marls, I don't care. Yeah more kids would be nice but I'm not going to cry over not having them. She's enough-Calla is enough-you are enough, in St Mungo's…well…there was a time when I thought I wouldn't have either of you. I'm thrilled with what I have"

Marlene smiled at him and then turned around so she was facing him. There had always been something about Sirius even before the war when he had been an arrogant berk. He had always known ways to make her feel better.

"Come on" she said deciding to change the subject and drive it away from private memories she would rather not dwell on. "What else does she say?"

"Well…" Sirius said with a slow smile. "I think James is going to be unbearable today. Harry's just become the youngest seeker in a century"

Marlene burst out laughing.

* * *

"Dad says he's buying me a new broomstick but he wont tell me which model." Harry told Ron the day afterwards. "I wish he would. It's been years since Dad's kinda been on the school quidditch circuit I don't know if he knows what a good broom is anymore."

Ron nodded sagely. Calla who was sat next to them carefully re-reading the notes that she had made in Astrology the previous night. Hermione had lent her, her notes snorted into her cup of tea. Calla hated Astrology because—if she was being honest with herself she didn't like being awake at night. Lessons were for during the day and the night was for curling up in the common room with a book, a mug of tea and a blanket. Her notes were more than a little jumbled up.

"Oh don't start" Harry said rolling his eyes.

"Let me guess" Ron said stabbing a piece of bacon with his fork and putting it on his toast along with a spoon of beans, scrambled eggs and a slab of butter. Calla watched as he rolled in into a tube and then stuffed it into his mouth.

"You gree with er" he said with a muffled voice as he jerked his head to the seat where Hermione Granger usually sat. Calla looked at him in disgust and then turned to Harry who had to look away. Calla had her mother's eyes and Auntie Marlene had a death stare his Dad would say that would make Death Eaters cry. Calla had inherited and Harry shifted in his seat.

"Her" she snapped shooting Ron a poisonous look. "Has a name and Hermione might have a point. Look Harry—" she leaned across the table. "I'm glad you're the youngest seeker in a century and all your dreams of playing quidditch for England are coming true but you did get lucky up there with Malfoy on a school broom"

"No he didn't" snapped a voice behind them and the three of them turned to see Draco Malfoy looking furious.

"Yeah he did" Ron said wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Malfoy sent a disgusted to look Calla as if hoping that what with both of them being related to the Black Family she would understand his disgust towards Ron. Calla just turned back to her book.

"Alright then. New game, new rules. Midnight Duel, trophy cabinet, midnight."

"Done" Ron said before Harry could speak. "I'm his second whose yours?"

"Crabbe" Draco said after a pause and then they were gone.

Calla slammed her book shut and stood up. She gave Harry another long look that was so like Auntie Marlene when she was annoyed at someone Harry felt rather worried.

"You two" she said finally "Are idiots"

* * *

"A Midnight Duel?" Hermione asked that night as they were going to bed. "Is that legal?"

"Course. But it's not like Harry and Malfoy can do anything. Worse comes to worse it will be a black eye each. Serves them both right. Idiots"

Hermione paused and then stood up. Lavender had gone to bed, Parvati was still in the bathroom and Fay had closed her curtains hours ago complaining of a headache.

"Come on" she said pulling on her pink robe. "I didn't do all that extra reading for nothing you know. Were going to stop them"

"That wont work" Calla said sitting up and pulling on her blue and grey checked robe that matched her blue and grey checked pyjama bottoms and blue top. She tied her hair back into a bun at the top of her head.

"We'll see" was all Hermione said swishing out of the dorm. Calla stared after her. It was like the woman had no idea who she was dealing with.

* * *

Ron breathed hard leaning against the wall. He had never ran that fast in his entire life. And he had five brothers and had learnt to run faster than most. But this…

He turned. Hermione Granger was leaning against the wall next to him, Neville looked like she was in a state of collapse. Calla was staring at the floor her dark hair covering her face but looking at the way her very body seemed to be heaving Ron was going to guess that she was struggling with the mad dash they had done as well. Harry was leaning his forehead against the door but his best mate turned his head slightly to catch Ron's eye. Harry grinned. Ron couldn't help it, he grinned back.

"There you are Cal" Harry said turning to his friend cutting across Hermione Grangers tirade that they should have seen this one coming from a mile away (and she might be right but no way was Ron going to tell her that) "First time out of bounds. You can write to Uncle Sirius and tell him that."

Whatever Calla was going to say was interrupted by the combination of Neville whimpering and what sounded like a growl. Ron turned around and his stomach dropped.

Not only were they in the forbidden corridor but there was a three headed dog guarding it.

Ron had heard stories about Hogwarts from five different brothers ranging from the boring to the quite frankly insane. But this…this was really too much. On top of everything that had happened tonight this was really too much.

There was a monstrously large dog with three heads growling at him.

He half sized Calla who was still staring at the floor with that curious look on her face (as if you needed further proof that, that girl was mad) and threw her out the door. Harry pushed Hermione through a second later and then Neville and then he slammed the door shut and they ran and did not stop until they had made it back to the Common Room and safely towards their armchairs where Neville sank down into one looking as if he would never speak again.

Hermione Granger on the other hand exploded.

"Honestly" Ron said turning back to Calla and Harry as Hermione and Neville made it back up the stairs. "She needs to sort out her priorities"

"Did you not see what that thing was guarding?" Calla asked finally.

"No" Harry said. "Heads Cal, three heads"

Calla sighed. "It was standing on a trapdoor Harry. It's guarding something. And Gringotts was broken into"

She sighed as she took in their expressions.

"You might think Hermione is nothing but a know it all" she said quietly. "But she's damn well reading the signs better than either one of you too are"

And with that she walked up the stairs leaving Harry and Ron alone in the Common Room.

* * *

 **As always your reviews mean the world to me, please keep them coming and I hope you enjoy.**

 **Next Chapter-Halloween-In which Ron is mean, James escapes his house with Sirius, Remus supports Lily and Calla, Hermione, Ron and Harry fight a troll and the Golden Trio becomes the Fab Four. **


	6. A Change Will Do You Good

**Hi, so here is another chapter. I do hope to have the next chapter published sooner rather than later but I am back at uni so please be aware that there might be some skipping in updating.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.**

 **Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.**

 **Also dont be too hard on Ron-the way I see it, he was a prat but he was also eleven.**

 **Some of the dialogue is from the book some from the movie some is my own just so you know.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 6-A Change Will Do You Good

In which Ron is mean, James escapes his house and his deadlines in quick succession with Sirius. Remus supports Lily and Calla, Harry, Hermione and Ron all end up (with various degrees) fighting a troll leading the 'Golden Trio' to become 'The Fab Four'.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** Halloween

* * *

The next few weeks past with little to no incident. Of course Hermione was not speaking to any of them. Neville was refusing to speak about the dog whatsoever and Calla was scowling everytime she locked eyes on Harry and Ron as if she expected them to apologise for dragging them into this mess. Harry supposed she might have a point because in all fairness it had been him and Ron who had agreed to this Midnight Duel in the first place but he and Ron had been unable to discuss anything but the dog that was guarding something.

It was a conversation that if Harry was being honest with himself he needed Calla for because Calla had the unnatural and quite frankly brilliant assessment of always knowing what the hell was going on and putting the pieces together of the puzzle. This was something that he was struggling to adapt to. Why was there a dog like that at Hogwarts? Who had broken into Gringotts? And what was that package that had been stolen just the day before by Hagrid? The problem was he didn't know who to ask. His father was not giving him any answers and neither was Ron's.

But more pressing matters were taking place soon enough. It was nearing Halloween.

Halloween was a sore subject for both Harry and Calla while it doubled up as celebration and a holiday that wizards had celebrated for centuries and a reminder that Voldemort had been killed on this day nearly taking Harry and Harry's family with them. So all in all—it was not a day they had celebrated much in childhood.

The smell of freshly baked pumpkin was in the air and most of the breakfast table had pumpkin or Halloween themes. Pumpkin bread and pumpkin spiced coffees and cinnamon butter with cinnamon toast and hash browns that were cut into the shapes of bats. Harry had just sat down to some toast when Uncle Sirius's owl Hinky landed with a screech depositing a letter.

Calla opened it and read the first few lines and then stabbed another hash brown with her fork as if it had personally offended her.

"What is it?" Harry said buttering his toast after making sure it was the normal butter.

"Dad and your Dad are coming for the feast apparently. Mum has to work and Uncle Remus is…not well" she said sharing a look with Harry that went completely over Ron's head but Harry took to mean that Uncle Remus was still recovering from the full moon that had ended two days ago. "Your mother is going to help him but they want out the house"

Which Harry took to mean meant that his father didn't want to be trapped in his house all alone on the night he could have lost everything.

"I'm going to ask him what Hagrid took out of the vault that day" Harry said. Ron next to him finished inhaling his sausages and nodded in approval of Harry's plan.

"Good. Should be easier coming face to face, plus if he lies you'll be better equipped to tell if your looking him dead in the eye. That's how Dad says they got most of the Death Eaters. They looked them in the eye and asked them."

Calla shot him a look that said she didn't believe that but Harry suspected that Arthur Weasley might have told his son a better story than the ones Harry and Calla had listened in on when they were sent upstairs and their family would sit in the living room and discuss the 'War Trial's' that had never ended even after things had settled.

"That's not a terrible idea Ron" Calla said thoughtfully. Ron nearly dropped his toast in shock. Calla shot him a look and rolled her eyes at him. "Oh don't get ahead of yourself, the lying thing was a good idea and you were bound to have one at some point in your life. The rest of it was just crap"

"Cal" Harry said warningly but Calla shook her head delving into her book and bringing out their Charms textbook. "In case you've forgotten we are supposed to be learning levitation charms and we had reading too do."

And with that she ducked her head behind the book and didn't say anything else.

* * *

Charms class had gone disastrously Harry thought. He had been partnered with Seamus who had set fire to everything, Hermione with Ron which had put both of them in a bad mood especially seeing as Hermione had done the spell perfectly after ten seconds and Calla with Dean Thomas both of whom had mastered the spell by the end of the lesson though Dean's feather could only zig-zag around the room.

But the worst of it happened after the lesson. Ron had made fun of Hermione as they were walking back to class and she had overheard him and ran away. Harry had been startled somewhat to see her face was wet with tears.

"I think she heard you" he pointed out to Ron who at least had some grace to look uncomfortable.

"Well honestly" he defended but before he could there was a scoffing sound behind them and Calla Black stormed past them. Before she could follow Hermione, she turned around and flashed one look of disgust in Ron's direction.

"You Ronald Weasley are a complete pig"

"Women" Seamus said shaking his head. Harry would have said something but he could see his father in the distance and suddenly he couldn't stop himself from running up to him and hugging him. It felt like a lifetime since he had seen his father and he was not going to miss out the hug that he found he so desperately wanted.

* * *

James Potter had been stood lounging by the lake when Sirius dropped next to him. "God it's like this place has never changed. All the kids running around the place, no terror nothing" his friend said in satisfaction.

James nodded. Carefully neither one of them said anything about the last year they had, had at Hogwarts where the Death Eaters had tried more than once to take the school and the owls had come every day brining bad news and death to fellow classmates. That year was something he preferred to forget. The only thing he was happy about was that, that was the year that he and Lily had gotten their shit together and never looked back.

"Dad" came a cry and James turned around scrambling to his feet to see his son come running at him and before James could do anything there was a thud as Harry hit him solidly in his chest and he was suddenly overwhelmed by his son in his arms. He couldn't help himself this was beyond perfect.

"Hey kiddo" Sirius said when Harry pulled back allowing James to have a moment to gather himself under control "Where's Cal?"

"She's gone to help a friend" Harry said "But she'll be a dinner. There's a rumour that there will be some sort of Devil's Chocolate Cake and she's going to be there for that"

Sirius nodded in agreement.

"So" James said slipping an arm around his son. "Why don't you tell us all about how you became the youngest seeker in a century?"

Calla made it to the girls loos where Moaning Myrtle just as the feast was supposed to start. She had checked nearly all of them since the end of lessons and this was her last shot. She knew however as soon as she opened the door and didn't heart the ghosts wailing that she was in the right place. Hermione was in the corner sobbing into her knees.

"I'm sorry" she said sitting next to her and bumping their knees together. "Ron's an idiot"

Hermione let out a wet laugh and wiped here eyes.

"Come on" Calla said shaking her head. "No boys worth this Hermione. Come and have some chocolate cake. There's gonna be loads of sweets there, we can eat until we feel sick I promise you"

Hermione smiled and then shook her head her eyes still wet.

"I'm gonna go and cry a bit more. Can you save me a bit of cake though?"

"Sure" Calla said standing. "If you want to be alone though I suggest that you don't do it here. Go to the bathroom on the first floor and then you'll at least get some peace. I'll go grab us some cake and some of that mint hot cocoa that my mum talks about and we can have a talk tonight. I for one am going to ask my Dad about that three headed dog."

Hermione nodded and then smiled.

"I'll be in the dorms when you get back"

Calla slipped into the hall just as the feast was on desert. She caught sight of her Dad at the table laughing with her Uncle (all the while shooting dark looks at Professor Snape). His face lit up when he saw her and he waved and Calla waved back slipping onto a bench and reaching for the cake she had eye on and a rather nice looking batch of fresh sugar cookies.

"Is Hermione alright?" Ron asked looking somewhat guilty.

"No" Calla snapped. "And you eat like a starving Hippogriff."

Harry snorted into his pumpkin juice but whatever he was going to say as he cut up his chocolate pancakes was interrupted by Professor Quirrell their Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher who pushed open the door and ran into the hallway pale in the face screaming at the top of his lungs. It took Calla a moment to understand what he was saying and then when she did she felt a flood some kind of emotion that was something she had never felt before.

Excitement.

"Troll…in the dungeon. Troll in the dungeon!" There was a deathly silence and Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape rose to their feet, her father and Uncle James not far behind them. For a second there was nothing but silence and then Professor Quirrell muttered something that sounded like.

"Thought you ought to know" and then he collapsed into a dead heap as he fainted. As soon as he hit the ground the screaming started. Harry and Ron were on their feet and Calla sighed rolling up the cake that she was going to send to Hermione.

And then she was reminded of why she was sending food to Hermione and the excitement that came when she could prove perhaps that she was a Marauder's child was ruined by the cold realisation that her friend was in trouble.

There was a pause where she stood there and took a deep breath and then before she had even blown it out Professor Dumbledore had shot large fireworks out of his wand that shut everyone up. There was a pause where she stood there.

"Everyone will please not panic" he said waving his wand about. "Prefects please lead your students back to the dormitories. Teachers and guests….will follow me to the dungeon."

Calla didn't get a look at her father in time he was already gone but she did manage to get a look at Professor Snape who had disappeared out of a side door and not the door the others were disappearing too. There was a pause where she stood there and then Harry was touching her arm and she Ron and Harry were moving at the back end of the que.

"No" Calla said as Harry and Ron were having a debate about who had let the troll in and was it an accident. "We need to go to the first floor bathroom. Hermione's there and she doesn't know about the troll"

She pointed her wand in Ron's face when he showed every sign of interrupting.

"Need I remind you it's your fault she's here? She was doing fine until you went and made fun of her"

"Alright" Ron snapped. "But Percy better not see us"

And with that they turned and ran.#

"Wow Cal" Harry said as they (narrowly avoiding Snape who hurtled down the corridor) "Your becoming a real Marauder"

Calla said something back that wasn't very nice.

They made it to the door just as the troll banged into it and Hermione started screaming.

There was a pause as all of them stood there.

* * *

The troll was huge. Calla allowed Harry and Ron to distract the troll as she went to pull Hermione from the rubble. Hermione was clutching her hand and then Harry did something both very brave and exceptionally stupid.

Calla couldn't help the eye roll despite the situation.

"This" she said as the troll was finally knocked unconscious his head banging on the bathroom floor. "Is the story of my life?"

And then the door to the bathroom opened up and in came Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell and both Calla's father and Uncle James who were very white. Calla was somewhat confused by what had just happened. They had done something that neither of them had done when they were at school? Shouldn't her father be proud instead of worried? This was what he wanted wasn't it? He had always joked that she was nothing like a Marauder, this was her way of relieving that disappointment.

Professor McGonagall however did the speaking for all of them.

"Explain yourselves all of you"

And before Calla could even hope to explain Hermione took the blame.

Five points taken and ten gained (if you took away the five already taken away) the Professors and Hermione left. Ron disappeared too shooting Harry and Calla strange looks.

"Look Dad" Harry began but Uncle James had crossed the room in three strides and hugged him. Calla raised an eyebrow but before she could turn around her own father had hugged her so tight she thought her ribs had broken.

"Don't you ever put us through that again" he said into her hair and even though she was so very confused about what was going on she was glad that she got a hug and she melted into it like she did when she was little and she had nightmares about He Who Must Not Be Named coming back from the dead and killing them all.

* * *

" _When we got back to the common room Hermione was there waiting for us. We said thank you, all of us even Ron because she did take the blame for us but as Cal says we did put her in that situation._

 _I should tell you Dad that from this moment on she's now our friend. There are somethings you just can't do without liking each other and knocking out a twelve foot mountain troll is one of them it seems. Anyway hope you can come to the first match and again a massive thank you for the broom!_

 _Cal says hi._

 _Love Harry."_

"A twelve foot mountain troll" James said passing the letter to Marlene the day after Halloween the five of them were in Godric's Hollow. James, Lily, Remus, Sirius and Marlene all in various states of shock still.

"I ask you" he shook his head.

Remus laughed into his tea. He was still sore from the night before Halloween but he was getting better and his spark was back which James was glad to see.

"What?" Sirius asked. "And be nice Remus I have aged ten years since that troll thing"

"Nothing" Remus said "Any ideas who let it loose?"

"Dumbledore has ideas" James said finally. "Merlin knows what that means he wouldn't tell us. And Harry's asking questions about the stone that was taken out of Gringotts"

Remus and Lily shared a grin.

"What?" Sirius said again looking irritable.

"Darling" Marlene said her hands around her mug. "You are finally paying for your school crimes. All that worry and damage."

"Fuck" James sighed. "Well lets hope they don't find out about this stone. Between Harry's courage, Ron's strength, Calla's curiosity and this Hermione girls brains it might just be a matter of time"

"Oh cheer up" Remus said softly. "It could have been so much worse. Don't worry until you have reason too James"

That, James thought leaning back on his sofa and exchanging a look with Sirius, was easier said than done.

* * *

 **So there you have it, I hope you all enjoy and I will try and update soon. Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and words so far.**

 **Next Chapter-Quidditch-In which Harry plays his first game, James and Lily have their hearts in their mouths, someone is jinxing the broom. Hermione sets Snape on fire after a confrontation with the men who made his life hell and Hagrid lets some important information slip. **


	7. Quiet Minds

**Hi, so here is another chapter, this one covers the chapter, Quidditch and as we move on certain events will be overlooked in the next couple of chapters as they go home for Christmas and some events will be moved around.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just this chapter.**

 **Please Read and Review and let me know what I think.**

 **And I will try and update sooner rather than later.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 7-Quiet Minds

In which Harry plays his first game, James and Lily have their hearts in their mouths, someone is jinxing the broom. Hermione sets Snape on fire and Calla overhears a confrontation between her Professor and the men that made his life a living hell for seven years and Hagrid lets some important information slip.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** Quidditch

* * *

As October turned to November the weather got colder, the spells that they were learning got trickier and Snape took five more points of them for nothing. There was also a chance that he had been in hurt by the three headed dog and more to the point Hermione Granger had become their friend and the four of them, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Calla were sat in the common room most nights. Hermione and Calla who had done their homework in time would read and write and giggle to each other. Hermione was talking about learning to knit. Ron and Harry on the other hand were busy with the upcoming match and talking constantly about what that dog was guarding and were often rushing to catch up.

As Hermione was a softer touch than Calla she agreed to read through their homework and therefore they got the help they needed to get the right answers. Sometimes they talked sometimes they were in silence and for that Harry was rather glad. There was a comforting thing about the silence when there was four of them. Even Ron had been quiet since the troll incident and it seemed like life was slowing down.

But they were building up from Halloween to the first Quidditch match of the season and it would be the first time Harry would play as seeker. More to the point both his parents and his Uncles Sirius and Remus and Auntie Marlene were coming as well. If he won it would be a great family moment that he would never forget. If he lost…well…even if the house did let him forget about it his father never would.

There was a pause as he took in what was happening that morning. Seamus and Dean were talking wildly. Calla was reading her book. Hermione was scribbling away at her notes only pausing to look up occasionally to tell Harry that he had to eat something even if it was only a bit of toast. But still Harry didn't know how today was going to turn out. For all he knew he could be a complete failure when it came to playing in an actual team and there was still something about the way Snape looked at him that made his nerves become a thousand times worse.

"And everyone is coming" Cal said not looking up from her book. It was about some historical event that took place in the fourteenth century about witches rights. Harry rolled his eyes and stabbed a piece of egg Hermione had slid onto his plate and he accepted and was thankful for the effort his friends were making. He looked down at his plate and forced himself to eat.

* * *

Calla pushed forwards her book in her hand to the top row of the tower decked in red and gold. She could see her father and Uncle James at the corner of the tower. Hermione was following with another book. Calla had told Hermione that if she found the match boring she would be thankful that she had something with her and Hermione had snatched up a book from under her bed and followed passing her binoculars to Ron who was sat with the other boys from Harry's dorm.

"Hey Dad" Calla said smiling. "You remember Hermione?"

Hermione smiled as her Dad beamed "Hello." He said grinning. "This is Calla's mother Marlene and her Uncle Remus." He introduced both of them. "Welcome to the crazy Hermione"

Calla rolled her eyes and open the book that she was reading.

"Good God Cal" her Dad said laughing his hand wrapped around her mother's waist. "Reading at a Quidditch match. Sometimes I wonder if you are really my child at all"

There was a long pause as she sat there and tried to blink back the tears that were in her eyes at that. She didn't want to show weakness, she wanted nothing more to do than to run away and pretend that it hadn't hurt her but it had and so she closed her book and directed her attention towards the match.

It was just as boring—or at least it was to her—as she had predicted.

She opened her book again.

Hermione had been watching and shouting and cheering with all the rest of Harry's family when she saw Calla open her book again. She dropped down so that the two of them were out of the way.

"Are you alright?"

Calla looked at her. Her eyes were very bright. For someone so confident and dry and witty Hermione didn't understand how she could be so insecure. But then again, she supposed she had a different father. She didn't know Sirius Black all that well and she supposed if she was looking at it clinically she knew he loved his daughter but…perhaps he didn't realise what he was saying and how it might come across. She should tell him.

But no. Hermione thought to herself. This was not the time to get involved. Ron had told her she had come across as interfering the first time that they had met and that she needed to learn not to pass an opinion on anything and everything that she saw.

Considering the boy that nearly got her killed by a troll was calling her impolite Hermione did think it was a bit harsh but she had let it go and turned back to working on her Potions essay.

At that moment Marcus Flint nearly knocked Harry out of the air.

"Cheating fucking scum" Sirius Black said and then he launched into a tirade about Slytherin House and all it's faults that included some of the most dirtiest language that Hermione had ever listened to. Calla rolled her eyes but it managed to elicit a smile out of her friend which Hermione thought was something.

"Sirius" the older looking, more scarred man said looking torn between amused and exasperated. "You are in the middle of the stands surrounded by children"

Sirius Black looked like he had not even heard him. Calla closed her book and touched Hermione's sleeve suddenly. Hermione felt winded as she stood up for the first time and pointed suddenly in the sky where the players were still locked in their private battle up in the air. Hermione followed her gaze and then gave a sharp gasp and turned to kick Ron who tore his eyes away from where he was watching his brothers successfully take down another chaser.

"What? Honestly what's wrong with the two of you today?"

"Harry" was all Calla said.

Ron followed their line of expression and then his mouth dropped open.

"Oh bloody hell" was all he said and Hermione quite agreed with that statement. Harry was still on his broom but barely. It was zig-zagging around the place like there was no control over it. Something about the way it was acting made her think of a jinx but surely…nobody in the air could do that without a wand? It would have to be a…a…

A teacher…

She turned slightly to tell Harry's mum and dad what was going on and had to turn around and look away. She knew Harry's history—there wasn't a person at Hogwarts who didn't know about Harry's history and yet there was something so terribly horrible in the look on both Harry's parents face as they saw their son in danger that made Hermione look around least she burst into tears.

She had to do something.

She grabbed Ron's binoculars nearly strangling the boy. There was a second where Ron disentangled himself away from the straps and then she was scanning the teachers box until she saw what she knew she was looking for. Because it was Snape. It had to be Snape and it was him that her eyes drew too nobody else.

And then she was off.

* * *

Calla looked as if she wanted to follow but considering her father had his arms around her shoulders as if to anchor his daughter near him in case some magical person took her away from him and Hermione…well…when it came to something like this she was best working on her own.

Less chance of getting caught and certainly less chance of getting the spell wrong and sending the whole of her Professors up in smoke.

The second Harry slid back on his broom James Potter knees went out and he sat back down in his chair. Ron Weasley had at some point gripped Calla's hand and Frank and Neville's son had disintegrated into tears into Hagrid's chest. Lily sat back next to him her face as white as milk.

"Holy Shit" Sirius said gripping James shoulder very tightly. "What the fuck was that thing? A jinx"

"Must be" Marlene said her eyes wide. "How the hell did someone jinx that broom?"

Ron Weasley turned around. James noted that Hermione Granger was missing but he couldn't really see or hear anything that wasn't his son trying to scramble back on a bucking broomstick and the crowds thinking it was some sort of mistake.

"Could one of the Slytherin's do that?" he asked. Calla turned around too her eyebrows raised and her curiosity peeked and James would have smiled but he somehow wondered if he would ever smile again. Could his family not catch a break?

"No" Remus said watching the sky again. "No, Ron no kid could do that to a broomstick as powerful as a Nimbus. That takes more powerful dark magic than any child up there possesses."

"Oh no" Calla said turning around "What the fuck is he doing now?"

It was a mark of how scared and serious Marlene was taking this that she didn't immediate correct her daughter for using the same foul language she had most certainly picked up from her father and James's best friend.

James looked up feeling rather than hearing Lily's groan. His son had just been thrown of his broomstick at ground level and was now making an expression that came when one knew he was going to be sick.

But Harry Potter was not going to be sick. No. What he was going to do was arguably one of the best ways to end a match since the time where James and his friends had gone to the World Cup in their sixth year. Sirius had just been forgiven for his actions with Snape and the war had not yet been a war and they had gone to France and laughed and lived and loved and watched what was one of the arguably best matches of James's life.

* * *

Remus was prodding the broomstick with his wand. James and Lily had ushered Harry away from his friends in order to get him to the hospital wing to check him out. Calla, Hermione and Ron had all gone down to Hagrid's, Marlene was talking in a hushed voice to McGonagall and Sirius was on the other side of the broomstick.

"No obvious signs of tampering" he murmured to his friend. Sirius nodded.

"Ugh" said a voice behind them. Remus didn't have to even look up to know who it was.

"Good evening Severus" he said trying to pleasant. Just because James and Sirius acted like they were teenagers sometimes didn't mean they all had to.

"Thank you for your countercharm it was most effective."

Snape didn't say anything.

"You know" he said after a pause. "While Potter is as lacklustre as his father your daughter Black isn't a complete dunderhead. In fact if I didn't know any better I'd say McKinnon and Lupin here had a love affair"

Remus snorted unable to stop himself. Sirius shot him a poisonous glare and then stood up. With a heavy heart and the knowledge that he knew what was more than likely going to happen next he stood up as well. Ever the peacemaker.

"Gentlemen please" he said feeling a headache coming on. "Can we all remember that we are pushing the later years of thirty and that we are in a school surrounded by children…and McGonagall and Dumbledore?"

Sirius spat on the ground.

"The broom" Remus said running a hand through his hair and speaking through slightly gritted teeth. "Shows no signs of tampering. It must have been a jinx" he looked up at the potions master with a raised eyebrow.

"Any ideas?"

"Dumbledore has one" Snape said curtly. "He sent me to tell you he wants to see you and the Potters and McKinnon. I think he's finally ready to share with the class"

"Good" Sirius said grumpily. "Because I got a lot of questions to ask him"

* * *

"Fluffy?" Ron all but shouted "You gave that thing a name?"

He couldn't believe it. It had been Hermione who had brought up the question but he couldn't believe that it had led to this little piece of information. Fluffy, a three headed dog called Fluffy! Merlin! Had Hagrid lost his marbles?

"And don't go looking for trouble" Hagrid said pointing a finger at all three of them and pulling Ron out of his thoughts so that he had to hurry along with the conversation.

"What that dog's guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel"

"Aha!" Calla said from where she had been staring serenely out the window. She looked animated in a way that Ron had never seen her before.

"So there's a Nicholas Flamel involved is there?"

Ron grinned, Hermione had to duck her head to hide her smile. Calla looked enthused. Hagrid on the other hand looked simply furious.

* * *

 **And there you go. Hope you all enjoy.**

 **Next Chapter-As Harry, Hermione, Calla and Ron all go home for Christmas, they get the opportunity to not only find some answers but to 'borrow' a significant item to go back to school with (James may or may not know) and during their night-time adventures they find an interesting mirror. **

**Enjoy.**


	8. Thin Ice

**And here is another chapter, there has been many changes to this chapter most specifically the Mirror of Erised chapter where i did skip over what they saw-for those that didn't pick it up, Ron's image is still the same and Harry's is that there is a life without a scar, Calla's is that her Dad is happy with who she is rather than who she wants to be and Hermione doesn't see inside the mirror.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.**

 **Please Read and Review.**

 **And let me know what you think.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 8-Thin Ice

As Harry, Hermione, Calla and Ron all go home for Christmas they get the opportunity to not only find some answers but to 'borrow' a significant item to go back to school with (James may or may not know) and during their night time adventures they find an interesting mirror.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** Nicolas Flamel and The Mirror of Erised.

* * *

"Are you going to ask your father if he knows about Nicolas Flamel?" It was Hermione who asked looking up from her reference book. They were on the train home for Christmas and the carriages were cold. Ron had pulled a couple of the blankets out of his suitcase and he and Harry were on one side of the compartment, Calla and Hermione on the other and all of them trying to keep warm.

"Probably. Might be best if you ask him though" Harry said thinking hard. "Dad wont suspect anything, if I start getting interested in whatever Flamel is interested in and it wont be quidditch, at least this way it looks less suspicious, your coming up for New Year aren't you?"

"Yes" Hermione said looking pleased. "Cal invited me and mum and dad were fine with it. They want to go to Paris for this new year though how they managed to book that I will never know. Anyway I've never been to a wizards celebration before"

"It's the same as a muggle one Percy says" Ron said working his way through a large slab of Christmas Chocolate Cake he had bought of the trolley. There was a pause as Calla shot him another despairing look that Harry thought in a bizarre way made her look like Narcissa Malfoy and then she turned back to her book. "Only louder" Ron finished.

"Do you think we could get the invisibility cloak of him?" Calla asked suddenly as if she had just thought about it.

Hermione nearly fell out of her seat . "Your father has an invisibility cloak?" she asked looking gobsmacked. "A real one? Not a cheap trick one?"

"Yeah" Harry said beaming with pride. "Passed down through Potters for generations. But no" he said suddenly with a frown. "He wont give us that, he needs it for work. But…" he said as an idea came to him. "If we play our cards right we might get the map and then we can do some real damage"

"Map?" Hermione asked and even Ron was looking confused. Calla caught Harry's eye and then they had to look away. The map had remained a secret between the two of them the same way it had remained a secret between their father's and their friends for a long time.

"You explain" Calla said reaching out of her little nest to nab a long liquorice wand and Harry grinned at her feeling once again that little stab of delight he got when he had the chance to explain something his parents did other than create the child that would apparently destroy Voldemort.

* * *

Lily had been on the platform waiting for a while, Molly was next to her, they had Ron for Christmas as Molly confessed to desperately needed to see her second eldest after another tale about Charlie's dragon escapades had resulting in him visiting the Romanian version of St Mungo's. Lily had been more than happy to have Ron, the twins and Percy content to stay at Hogwarts and Bill apparently coming back from Egypt so he could spend time with Ginny before they headed out there. Hermione Granger was spending Christmas day with her own family but Marlene had given into Calla's pleas and the girl was coming to Black Cottage on the 28th and staying for New Years. Both Marlene and Sirius had wanted to be here and so had Remus but thankfully the full moon had coincided with the week the children were sent home (and not Christmas as it could have been) and he was recovering nicely and Sirius, Marlene and James had both had to work, her husband and his friend on a case for Dumbledore that they couldn't talk about and her other friend trying to stop her editor from murdering Rita Skeeter.

Lily thought that her best friend was laying it on a bit thick however. Marlene had been thrilled at the thought of Calla having a friend that she wanted to spend Christmas with and Lily couldn't blame her. Sometimes Calla was too serious for her own good and she did stick out like a sore thumb when it came to the boys who had always been rough and tumble. But Lily knew her friends fears ran deeper than that. One of Marlene's deepest fears was that the curses she'd had to endure when she had been pregnant and watching her family dying had not stopped at hurting her and denying her the chance of more children but had damaged the baby inside of her because considering Marls and Sirius had been two of the loudest people that she had ever known (and yes that did include her husband) there was the simple fact of the matter that Calla was like a little bookworm ghost.

She shifted a little as she saw another woman enter the platform looking around nervously. The platform's magic worked for muggle parents who wanted to see their children off but that didn't mean the parents understood nine times out of ten what was going on. Lily who remembered only too well her own Mum and Dad's reaction to the scarlet train could emphasis with her. Also there was something about her that looked familiar so she nodded to Molly and went over to the woman.

"Hello, my name is Lily Potter are you waiting for someone?"

The woman started "Lily Potter? Oh Harry's mum, I'm Jean Granger, Hermione Granger is my daughter"

Ah that explained where Lily thought she recognised this woman from.

And just like that it was easy to fall into a conversation with the woman. After a pause Molly came over and joined them and when all four children got off the train it was to see their mothers getting along as if they had known each other all their lives.

* * *

Christmas passed as it always did at Potter Manor in a wave of red and gold, more wine than he should have indulged with and Sirius proposing strip exploding snap. All in all Remus supposed he should be glad to get home in one piece but he couldn't help but love spending Christmas at his friends. James and Sirius confided in him their chase on whomever had broken into Gringotts not to mention the side line investigation they were running into Peter Pettigrew's whereabouts and Remus considered the facts as well as adding his own opinion, it was like the older days in the war where they had believed themselves to be invincible and they had trusted each other with everything.

There was just one noticeable exception.

He was instructed to come to Sirius house the day before New Years, because Marlene wanted his academic opinion and piece that had been sent to the Prophet on Goblin laws and she confessed she had neither the head nor the time for it. When he flooed into her home he noted that Calla was sat at the kitchen table working through her holiday homework (Sirius would have a fit he thought grinning) and there was a girl he recognised as Hermione Granger sat there pouring over what looked like a rather nasty potions essay. Both girls smiled at him when he came in and all but collapsed onto a chair (his back was still in bits).

"Mum's upstairs" Calla said and then she put down her quill. Remus thought it prudent to warn Hermione what was coming so he nudged her and gestured that she too should put down her quill.

"MUM!" Calla yelled with all the DNA of Sirius Black. "Uncle Remus is here!"

Hermione Granger shook her head wincing.

"As always Cal you have the tact of curse coming through an open window" Remus said shaking his head. Hermione laughed.

"What you girls working on?"

"Potions" Calla said finally. "You know Harry might have a point about Snape. This is evil work"

Remus refrained from sorting with increasing difficultly.

"Mr Lupin" Hermione said finally. "Can I ask you something? Only I came across something in a book the other day and I didn't understand it and I didn't want to bother the teachers so close to term ending and therefore Calla said I should ask you?"

"Certainly" Remus said comfortably from where he had made himself a cup of tea (God he loved magic.)

"Have you ever heard of someone called Nicolas Flamel?"

Remus stared at her. Where the hell had she heard that? Granted it wasn't uncommon for students to do a bit of extra reading when they got to school—he had done loads but Flamel was not something that was generally covered in extended reading lists. Snape was surely not teaching the Philosopher's Stone to his first years was he? And…but no…they couldn't know…could they?

Well he supposed there was no harm in asking. Better they both got (because Calla was now looking at him with interest too) a good account from him rather than tonight when Sirius and James were three sheets to the wind and told them all what that three headed dog was guarding—or that there even was a three headed dog.

And who was he to stomp on academic advancement, he spent most of the first few years at Hogwarts with his head stuck in various books. He loved the damn library…there was no harm in answering some questions. There was no danger that these kids had to worry about, not anymore he hoped.

"Nicolas Flamel is an alchemist, one of the most famous of all time and he owns something called the Philosopher's Stone. It has the power to make you immortal and turn any metal into pure gold"

"That really exists?" Calla asked her eyes as wide as galleons. Hermione Granger was looking the same. Remus couldn't stop himself from grinning at them.

"Yeah it does. Flamel has the only stone in existence and is a good friend of Dumbledore's. He's pushing seven hundred years old soon"

Two wide pair of eyes stared at him.

"Holy cricket" Hermione said finally. "So this stone must be really powerful then? He doesn't…I mean he is careful with it isn't he?"

"Of course he is" Remus smiled at her not mentioning that the stone was with Dumbledore and was going to stay there at least until the end of these kids first year if not longer.

"Keeps it under lock and key"

"Wish Snape would teach us how to make one of those." Calla said turning back to the book she was studying "Better than this rubbish"

Remus couldn't help but laugh at that and it drove all the questions out of his mind.

That in hindsight was very stupid of him.

But really? Who could have seen what was coming next?

* * *

New Years saw the four of them at Potter Manor upstairs in Harry's room discussing the Philosopher's Stone. Ron and Harry were still firmly on the side where it was Snape trying to get past the three headed dog on Halloween and that led Hermione to try and defend him believing that teachers were not the enemy. Calla had remained silent throughout the whole conversation claiming she was going to remain as open as she could because "If we don't look at the whole picture we are all going to miss something and it will probably be something big." Instead she was staring out the window down into the garden and watching her father try to light an actual muggle firework.

Harry was surprised that was going ahead after the last time muggle fireworks were involved which had ended up with his Dad and two drunk Uncles prodding it with their wands and it went of like a cannon resulting in several alarmed muggles, a massive hole in Harry's backyard, a burnt down gazebo, Fred and George swearing loyalty to his father like he was a king and his Dad being banished from his bed for a week.

"We should get our hands on the map" she said finally. "That will make it much easier to see things clearly. Once we have the map then we can see where Snape and other people are going and whose visiting Fluffy. And we should ask now while there on the third bottle of champagne."

Hermione giggled. Harry couldn't deny his friend had a point. Ron grinned.

"You know Black" he said as they scampered of the bed in their pyjama's and bare feet. "I like you better and better"

Harry could feel Calla's eye roll without even needing evidence that it had happened.

Calla was very predictable like that.

As they came into the hallway they found the five of them celebrating. Ron grinned catching Hermione's eye and found she was grinning too. There was something about Harry's parents when they were happy they had way of making sure that everyone else was and as they took their seats and Mrs Potter waved them over four large mugs of cocoa complete with whipped cream and marshmallows for him and Harry, just marshmallows for Hermione and just plain for Cal and then they all sat down to drink in the new year, the new term and another new day. It was something his Dad had said once when they were little and the last of the Death Eater trials were over before New Year's. Their Dad had told them all that this meant that this new year would have nothing to do with the war.

Ron had been glad of that at least and the holiday had been very special to him since then because of that.

Harry chose his moment well. When Mrs Potter and Miss McKinnon went into the kitchen he pounced.

"Dad can we have the Marauders' Map please? At Hogwarts?"

James Potter opened one eye and exchanged looks with his friends and then shrugged. Ron couldn't believe it was that easy.

"Sure" he said and with a wave of the wand and then Harry seized the bit of parchment and they were up the stairs giggling at their luck before they even realised it.

"You know" Hermione said pouring over it. "This is really impressive magic. So your Dad's Prongs and Calla's Dad's Padfoot?"

"Yeah" Harry said comfortably. "And Uncle Remus is Moony."

"Then whose Wormtail?" Ron asked unwrapping another chocolate frog. The name sounded familiar he was sure of it.

Harry paused. "I don't know" he said finally. "Never heard any of them mention it. I think he died in the war"

Hermione chose that moment to point out Dumbledore was now in the kitchens and that set them all of trying to find who was who on their passport around the school.

* * *

How the boys found that mirror Hermione didn't know but the next night they were back at school they went with the map (and it was an amazing magical map she would say that for nothing) to the room.

Hermione didn't look. There was something about that mirror that set her teeth on edge. Ron claimed he could see himself standing alone achieving more than his brothers ever had. Harry claimed he could see his family happy with siblings and another man he didn't recognise with his father and his friends and how he had no scar. Calla didn't say anything but then again she had took one look and turned around and walked away her face white claiming she would never go near that thing again.

It was only out of curiosity that Hermione went during a free lunch break when Harry and Ron went to lunch and Calla went to take a letter to the owls.

Still there was something about it that she didn't like.

"Very wise Miss Granger" said a voice and she nearly screamed. It was Professor Dumbledore. Far from being angry he took her momentary silence to explain what the mirror was about and why it held such fascinating secrets. Hermione was right, it was a dodgy thing and when Dumbledore said it was being moved and he didn't want them to look for it she sighed with relief.

"Sir. What do you see?" she asked. She knew it was rude but curiosity had always got the better of rudeness as far as Hermione was concerned. At least then anyway.

"I? I see myself holding a thick pair of woollen socks. One can never have enough socks Miss Granger. People insist on books."

"One can never have enough books sir" Hermione pointed out and was rewarded with a chuckle that she thought might have saved them all from expulsion.

"And Miss Granger?" he called as she was about to leave the room. She turned. "Perhaps you might want to tell Miss Black that what she saw isn't going to come to pass. I've known Sirius too long to think that what she thinks is correct"

"I thought you couldn't see…?"

"Oh I don't need a mirror to see what's troubling that girl" Professor Dumbledore said gently and Hermione knew that to mean that her chance to look at the mirror was gone. In all honesty she didn't really want to know anyway. Somethings were better left unsaid and unspoken and never thought of.

"Always said he was barking" Ron said later that night at dinner working his way through a mountain of mash potatoes.

"Socks indeed"

"Yes" Calla said thoughtfully as she drizzled gravy over her sausages. "But you cannot deny that it was quite a personal question you were asking."

Later that night as she brushed her teeth Hermione took a good look at herself in the mirror and had to conclude that her friend was right.

* * *

 **In the following chapters there will be one chapter in the book spread over two chapters in this fanfic as i intend to tackle it from different point of view. The following chapter and the chapter following will have events of one chapter in the book spread over chapters in this fanfic, i hope that makes sense.**

 **And there it is, please keep reviewing and reading and letting me know what you think and i will endeavour to post as soon as it is written.**

 **Next Chapter-The gang find out Hagrid has a dragon, Ron gets bitten, Calla reacts to one of Draco's insults and she, Draco, Hermione, Neville and Harry end up in the forbidden forest.**


	9. Time After Time

**And another chapter, there you are and i hope you all enjoy this chapter as i said in the previous one certain chapters of the book would be spread over chapters in this fanfic and this is one of them. The next chapter will deal with the actual events of the forest.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just this and some of the characters.**

 **Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.**

 **i will endeavour to post the next chapter sooner rather than later so please stay tuned.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 9-Time After Time

The gang find out that Hagrid has a dragon, Ron gets bitten, Calla reacts to one of Draco's insults and for many different reasons she, Draco, Harry, Hermione and Neville end up in the Forbidden Forest.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** Norbert The Norwegian Ridgeback and The Forbidden Forest (Part One)

* * *

The days after Christmas became longer and more dragged out as the days turned darker. In February there was a Quidditch match that ended with a fist fight between Ron, Neville, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle that had only been broken up because Calla's Uncle Remus had been watching something other than the match and had, had the good sense to break up the fight before anyone really got hurt and before Harry had even won the match which as Uncle James was still telling crowds of enthusiastic students—in the last ten years had been a first.

The problem was what had happened after the match. Harry had come to them and told them what he had heard, the conversation between their Defence Against The Dark Arts professor and the Potions Master but there had been a conversation about the Stone. Ron had a belief that the Stone would be gone by next Tuesday and Calla couldn't deny it. Her father had not so much as stopped by—though she supposed he did have to work and her mother had left with a hug and a kiss that made her want more. She didn't know where her insecurity had come from and she had no idea how to deal with it, she was eleven for Merlin's sake. How was she going to explain to her mother and father that when she looked at them she wondered weather or not she was really their kid because she didn't like noise or pranks or creating trouble. She didn't like the map or the fact that every time she wrote to her Dad he always asked if she had done any pranks and she had to nibble the end of her quill before she figured out what she was going to say.

She didn't know what to say and that was the problem. Calla didn't like pranks or loud noises, she liked the library and she liked books and ink on her fingers and reading under the covers and she swallowed thinking that her father had been one of the great pranksters of the age who had answered the call when Professor Dumbledore had asked for men and women to stand up and fight against the ever increasing darkness. How was she supposed to tell him that the thought of Voldemort coming back from the dead and using this Stone thing was the last thing that she wanted, that it made her wake up in the night shaking with terror?

How was she supposed to tell the great Sirius Black that?

How was she supposed to tell her mother that? Her mother that had lost all her family to the Death Eaters and how was she supposed to tell her Mum that she was scared to fight? That the daughter of Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black didn't like to be noisy or cause a mess or wasn't there when she was expected to fight.

All of that made her want to cry but she didn't do that, instead she finished her letter to her father, pretended that she had not seen what she had seen in the mirror and then went to bed with a cup of tea and a good book, because for Calla Black that was how she lived her life and that was what she considered a good day.

Only now she and Hermione had nothing to do but to talk about the Stone. They discussed it in the shadows of their room, Hermione coming into Calla's bed so that they could sit there in their pyjama's and discuss Snape and if he was truly evil enough to steal the Stone.

But then as the months turned towards March and April and the weather started to become warmer and warmer with each passing day they had something else to worry about. On the day that Hermione and Calla had been in the process of trying to figure out just how they were supposed to revise for their exams and weather or not to enter the Miss Witch Weakly Essay Contest, Harry and Ron had gone for their monthly tea at Hagrid's only to find out that he was now hiding a dragon's egg in his wooden hut and he was waiting for it to hatch.

"I don't believe this" Hermione said through closed lips as she sipped her tea and ate the muffins that they had gotten from the house elf's (or Calla did because she would admit the map was good for this thing even if Harry used it to drop dung bombs on Flitch the other week).

"I just don't believe this, how the hell could he do something like this? First the three headed dog and now the dragon and you know Calla…as much as I want to see a dragon hatching I will not go, Harry and Ron can be the ones that go and see it. Fluffy was enough for me. I draw the lines at three headed dogs"

Calla nodded even though a part of her did want to see a dragon hatch. She didn't want to get Hagrid or herself in trouble. Draco Malfoy was smarting at the fact that his house had lost two matches in a row and even Calla knew with both the Black family genes that they both shared and the fact that she suspected that their good luck could only hold out for so long knew that something like a dragon and the possibility of getting Hagrid sacked would push the possibility of a fight between Malfoy, Ron and Harry into open warfare.

And she knew that there was only one way that that could end and it was not good.

Calla's thoughts which she had reigned down like dire threats on Harry and Ron came true two weeks later when not only had, Harry and Ron seen the dragon hatch (and curiosity had won over Hermione who had gone down to see it and come back up to the castle nearly twenty minutes later claiming that the less she knew of it the better) when the dragon so affectionately named Norbert bit Ron's hand and he became infected with a poisonous bite mark that looked like gangrene and had a nasty smell coming from it.

By that point they all knew even Calla who had never seen the damn thing, that Norbert the dragon had to go and the sooner the better as far as they were all concerned. What made matters worse was that she was pretty sure her little ferret cousin knew about it.

And for her things came to a head as she finally saw the writing on the wall the following week outside potions and she was waiting for Hermione and Harry to drag themselves away from trying to convince Hagrid (and themselves) that a bit of international dragon smuggling was no big deal. She was reading a book when she felt someone leaning over her and she looked up to see Draco Malfoy with an all too knowing smug look on his face.

"Hello Black, heard from those filthy blood traitor parents yet?"

Calla stood up. "Have you heard from your Death Eater father yet?"

Seamus who was next to her sniggered. Draco scowled.

"Don't kid yourself Black" he said pressing himself closer to her so she was pressed up against the wall. "I know what you and that lucky brat Potter are doing and that blood traitor and mudblood you hang around with. And I promise you that your going to go the same way as your mother's family. What did she do when she woke up, cried over their bloody bodies as she realised the Dark Lord would always triumph?"

Calla wanted to point out that the Dark Lord had not triumphed but it was the shot at her mother as well as the ever growing sense of panic that came when she was pressed up too close to him that had her reacting on instinct. Her foot came out and caught him in the balls so hard Draco doubled over his face growing red his hands in his private parts. Seamus and Dean where not laughing now-in fact they both looked rather ill at the sight—they might despise Malfoy but no boy wanted a boot in their private parts Calla theorised. She kicked Malfoy to the side and went for her wand and at that precise moment Professor Snape opened the potions door.

His eyes went to Malfoy to a white faced Calla holding her wand to Seamus and Dean's somewhat sheepish expressions and Calla thought Ron might have a point about Snape reading minds.

"Malfoy go to the hospital wing immediately. Detention Black for a week and twenty points for your violence"

"Sir" Seamus said finding his voice at last. "He was insulting the McKinnons"

Seamus, Calla remembered was from a wizarding family and his mother had been a year below hers abet in different houses. Snape's eyes didn't change nor did she expect them too.

"Violence is against the school rules Finnegan not that I ever expected Black to understand that with her father"

And again the words were coming out of Calla's mouth before she could stop them.

"Yeah cause you were the perfect student in your days weren't you. I bet there was no provocation"

The whole class even the Slytherin's held their breath. Professor Snape's hand went to his wand pocket as if he was itching to bring it out. Calla stood her ground, her base was a Black and a McKinnon and neither of her parents had ran at the sight of danger and neither was she.

Finally Snape took a breath.

"A weeks worth of detention then. Get in Black and so help me if I get one more word out of your mouth I will make it fifty and you will be sorry"

Calla eyed him for a second and then figured she had probably been brave and/or stupid enough for today and followed him inside without another word.

* * *

By the end of the day everyone was talking about how Calla Black nearly castrated Draco Malfoy with her boots because he had insulted her mother's dead family one of the noticeable pureblood families of the age and had then stood up to Snape. The points didn't matter so much as Fred told her over dinner that nearly all of the school were amazed she was still alive.

"Bloody good" George said thickly around mashed potato.

"Brilliant" Fred said around desert.

"Legend" Ron said after dinner. Seamus and Dean nodding.

"Uncle Sirius is going to sing with pride" Harry said nodding.

Calla couldn't help it. She grinned.

* * *

The detentions with Snape were not as bad as she thought they were. He had her cleaning out old cauldrons with no magic but Calla knew when to keep her head down and the stuff was so boring that she lost track of the time. Therefore she missed the fact that Harry and Hermione had got caught, that the map was now missing and that they had lost one hundred and fifty points. 170 if you counted hers.

She was coming off a bit better than Harry, Hermione and Neville mainly because she had defended her family, took down Malfoy who whimpered in pain still whenever he thought he could get something out of it and had stood up to Snape but she knew the chances of winning the house cup were gone.

The only saving grace as she told Hermione as Lavender became meaner and meaner was that they had got the dragon away and they had also got Malfoy in detention as well.

"Look this is Hogwarts" she said as Hermione blinked back tears, "Stuff like this happens all the time, people will forget about it in a couple of weeks and if Harry plays well then we can get the Quidditch cup and nobody will care. Anyway at least you didn't get caught with that dratted dragon, you'd be up in court at the very least if you had"

Hermione at least believed that.

"Did you tell your Dad about Malfoy and Snape?" she asked quietly. Calla looked at her. "Should I?" she said finally. "Look, he'd…well he'd be proud but…I didn't like it Hermione, he made me feel damn uncomfortable and I reacted. My Dad will think it's the start of something brilliant and new and prankable if that's even a word and that…that's just not me"

Hermione said nothing more on the subject. Thankfully.

* * *

Their joint detention came the end of that week. Hermione, Harry, Neville and Malfoy were all at Hagrid's hut when they saw a bobbling light come across the grounds. It was Snape holding a lantern with Calla with him.

"You can have her for the night Hagrid" the potions master said with a nasty smile and then he was gone leaving Calla shivering somewhat probably because she had not been told to bring a cloak. Hermione scowled.

"What's the plan?" Calla asked as they walked towards the forest.

Hermione told her about the unicorns and that they were there to find out what had hurt them. Calla stared at her. "Merlin" she said shaking her head so her loose dark curls went flying. "Nothing good can hurt unicorns. Not even werewolves, if something's hurt one then it's nothing but dark magic. What the hell is Hagrid doing taking us in there?"

Harry overheard the end of the conversation and smiled a very gritted smile. The loss of the points as well as his father's map had been particularly jarring for him and it was showing. Especially because nobody knew where the map was, it was if it had just disappeared. Hermione was betting that James Potter had no idea what the hell was going on and she wasn't going to tell him.

"Come on Cal" he said. "Were Marauder kids, we were made to do this"

Calla did not look convinced and Hermione couldn't blame her but there was no choice. Neville looked terrified, Malfoy looked unnerved himself and yet they had no choice but to walk through the forest away from the warm bright lights of Hogwarts and pray that they would come out of the forest and see them again.

* * *

 **And yeah most of this chapter is in Calla's point of view (an OC) but the next chapter will have more points of views.**

 **Next Chapter-The Forbidden Forest Part 2-Calla, Hermione, Harry, Draco and Neville enter the forest with Hagrid and learn some disturbing facts about who is prowling the grounds at Hogwarts. Harry has a terrifying theory and the gang learn that something thought lost to them has been returned.**


	10. Shadows

**Hi, here is the other part of this book chapter, I hope you all enjoy and it is my delight to tell you that there are only five more chapters left of this story! I will try and update sooner rather than later.**

 **All of this chapter is in Hermione's point of view which was interesting to write. I wrote that Ron and Harry and Calla and to some extent Draco and Neville would all know that to kill a unicorn was bad and that to drink it's blood even worse and I wrote in Ron knowing something about Voldemort's reign of terror because he overheard his parents talk about it, I calculated in my head that Bill would be in his first year of Hogwarts while the war was going on but I might be wrong about that so if so I apologise.**

 **Next chapter will be broken up into two chapters in this story again, I hope you all enjoy this one.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just Calla Isolde Black.**

 **Please Read and Review.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 10-Shadows

Calla, Hermione, Harry, Draco and Neville enter the forest with Hagrid and learn that something disturbing is prowling the Hogwarts grounds. Harry meanwhile has not only a terrifying encounter but also a terrifying theory and the gang find out something that they thought lost to them has been returned.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** The Forbidden Forest, Part 2.

* * *

The deeper they got into the forest the colder it seemed. Or to Hermione that was how it seemed. Neville and Malfoy had separated and she Hagrid, Calla and Harry were prowling around the forest with nothing but a lantern and a crossbow in front of them.

Perhaps sometime next week once her heart rate was back to normal Hermione would go and do some research about people like Ronan and other creatures who were half man, half horse (perhaps she would write to Calla and Harry's Uncle Remus he seemed very knowledgeable) but right now she was clutching one hand with Calla's and the other with her wand and she was trying to not completely fall apart.

For the third time that night she told herself sternly to look at this logically.

Something was killing unicorns.

The first fact was that it was very difficult to catch a unicorn. They had only used the tail and the horn in potions and more than once whenever someone (Neville) had made a mistake, Professor Snape had moaned like sin about how much the ingredients cost him to buy. If one was bleeding then that was very bad indeed. Hermione didn't know what unicorn blood was used for but she didn't think it was for anything good.

Second of all that something incredibly powerful that was killing the unicorns was in the forest with them right now.

And third they were separated. Malfoy and Neville were alone and even if Malfoy could keep his wits about him then she was willing to bet that if they came across whoever or whatever it was then he wouldn't last very long.

And it was getting even colder.

Suddenly there was red sparks on the horizon. Calla screamed unable to stop herself the fear getting to her usually strong friend, Hermione wrapped one arm around her Harry jumped as if he had just received an electric shock. The three of them huddled together behind a tree as Hagrid left them there to go and find out what was amiss.

And that was when Hermione heard it. It was a thin rustling sound on the ground. It wasn't an animal or wind, it sounded like the rustling of a cloak. She bit her lip until she tasted the tang of blood in her mouth and closed her eyes as whatever it was passed by them without a second's hesitation. She had no idea what was going on here but she wanted out. There was only so much of this a person's nerves could take.

Calla looked as if she might faint and Harry didn't look much better she noted.

Hagrid came back seconds later thumbing in the forest looking thunderous. Hermione wanted to ask him if they could stay together or at the very least if she and Calla could leave because Calla did not look like she could stand much more of this without throwing up her dinner but she found that words failed her and she forced her and her friend to move through the undergrowth one hand wrapped tightly around Calla's shivering cloak-less shoulders.

No breaking of school rules was worth this she thought as they carried on walking. Even Malfoy had gone paler than usual his face the colour of skimmed milk once he'd gotten a good look at the unicorn blood and been told to go off with Harry and Hermione didn't even have it in him to be mad at him when all she could feel right now was fear and ice in her veins.

And then she heard it.

Shouting, furious shouting and Hagrid took off at a run which meant the three of them had to sprint after him Neville panting and Calla a white faced ghost next to her.

They came across a sight that Hermione knew she was not going to forget in a hurry.

A unicorn was dead, shiny blonde hair over trees and blood on the trees. Malfoy was panting bent double looking terrified and Hermione took no pleasure in seeing him brought so low. She pushed past him following Hagrid noting that Calla stayed behind her face so white it was illuminous in the darkness of the forest and she paused before hurrying forwards.

There was Harry sat on the back of a centaur his hands on his shoulder. The centaur was in the middle of a heated debate with two others, one that she had seen before and the other that she hadn't. There was a pause where she took him in on the back of a centaur and then Harry slid off looking like he had aged ten years in the half an hour they had been separated.

The three centaurs started arguing and the one Harry had been sat on the back off started pawing the ground. Hermione who didn't know much about horses which technically he was half of one knew enough to know that, that was often a bad sign and she moved backwards pulling Harry by the sleeve with her. Hagrid seemed to understand that this was a bad idea as well and the three of them turned and ran back out of the clearing and back to Calla, Neville and Malfoy.

They walked back in silence. Hagrid told them that he would go back to the centaurs in the morning and ask them about the dark shadowy thing that Harry had seen drinking blood. Hermione understood that there was something very dark and terrible about this, Neville had let out a terrified squeak when he had heard, Malfoy had groaned looking horrified and Calla had looked terrified even more so than she had been before. Even Harry had looked pale and Hermione had never felt more like a muggle born than she had done in that moment.

They crossed back into the grounds and then they separated, Hagrid walked them up to the castle and Malfoy still looking pale went downstairs while they went up. Neville went straight to bed not even saying goodbye and that left the four of them sat there in front of a dying fire.

Calla was shaking still and Hermione wondered weather or not she should take her friend to the hospital wing but Ron was there and she took the blanket he had been sleeping under and wrapped it around her friend as Harry began to pace telling them what he had seen.

"Why is it so terrible to drink unicorn blood?" Hermione asked seeing the look on Ron's face darken as the story was told.

"Because unicorn blood is special. There's a reason we don't use it in potions. My Dad told me it's closely regulated by the Department of Control of Magical Creatures, St Mungo's the Wizarding Hospital only has a short stash that they could use. The second that your mouth touches the blood it's over"

"It's poison?" Hermione asked feeling very cold.

"No." Harry said finally. "It makes you less…well I don't know what you would call it. Tonight I was told that from the second the blood touches your lips you live a half life, a cursed life. I was asked what was in the school at the very moment that could ensure that someone would avoid that choice"

And suddenly, even though she felt sick at the very idea, Hermione understood.

"The Philosopher's Stone" she breathed. Finally another piece of the puzzle was coming together.

Someone was in Hogwarts looking for the stone, someone who was drinking unicorn blood for it's master…for Voldemort if Harry was correct, someone who had daily access to Fluffy but had not yet learnt of all the enchantments guarding it.

"And to think," Ron said finally into the silence. "I was worried about the potions final"

"You think it's Snape" Calla said looking at Harry. It was not a question, it was more an accusation. Hermione looked at her friend and found that there was no guilt in the green orbs. Harry was serious. He thought the man working for Voldemort was Snape.

"Why don't you tell your Dads?"

She directed the question at all three of them.

Ron snorted and looked into the fire. Harry shook his head and Calla started off the couch.

"No" Ron said finally. "They wouldn't listen to mine anyway."

"And…" Harry shot a look at Calla that was filled with some indescribable emotion that she couldn't read into and she couldn't change. She paused taking a deep breath. "Hermione" Harry said finally. "I am not going to ask my father to chase after Voldemort. Not again"

Hermione swallowed. A part of her wanted to ask Harry was that not his father's job but the other part of her didn't want to ask. She loved her father, she couldn't imagine what it was like for Harry and Calla. Hermione couldn't imagine what it was like. She turned away her head turning to the side and thinking hard.

"Your forgetting something" she said finally. "All of you. There was only one person You-Know-Who was afraid of the last time. There was only one person that he was scared off."

Six pairs of eyes stared at her. She sighed.

"Dumbledore" she said naming the man that they all trusted and loved even if they had only seen him once or twice this whole year.

"As long as Dumbledore is around we are safe, and you Harry…you cannot be touched as long as Dumbledore is here"

There was a very pregnant pause.

"Look" Ron said sitting up and running a hand through his red hair. "We are going to get nowhere tonight. I say we all get some sleep and regroup in the morning"

* * *

Hermione forced herself to bed with weary legs. Calla had shut the door the second she had gone into the bathroom but Hermione could hear the retching in the toilet. She waited until Calla came out In case the other girl wanted to speak to her but instead she climbed into her bed and feeling exhaustion in her limbs Hermione followed suit and fell into a wonderfully pointless, dreamless, sleep.

* * *

The next morning Ron was pacing up and down the common room and there was something in his face that made Hermione pause. It was a weekend and Calla was still asleep her hands clenched into fists into the blanket. Hermione on the other hand was hungry and not just for food. Surely there had to be some explanation to what Harry had seen that night in the forest? Something that she could find in her books? Because call her stupid or whatever but Hermione still could not believe that Professor Snape was behind it. Surely Dumbledore would know if he had hired someone working for Voldemort?

Even in her head the thought of him coming back sent shivers down her spine and Hermione had not even seen first-hand…had not lived the devastation that Ron and Harry and Calla had. Had not lost family or wondered weather or not she would ever see her children again. The grief and the stories that she had heard that came with the grief was hard even for her to fathom.

He grabbed her as she was in the room and pulled her into a corner.

"We got the map back" was all he said. Hermione raised an eyebrow feeling her heart hammering in her chest. "What do you mean?" she asked finally.

Ron looked gleeful.

"I mean Harry got into bed last night and found the map attached to his pillow with a note pinned to it saying just in case.

"Just in case?" Hermione wondered but Ron it seemed was too busy to listen to her.

"Come on" he said "Let's go get some breakfast. Harry's gone flying and we can bring some back to Cal. She didn't look too good last night, kind of like George when he ate that bogey flavoured bean"

"Ron" Hermione said very quietly. "How bad was it? The first time You-Know-Who came to power?"

Ron stopped walking just as they reached the portrait hole, it was still early on a Saturday morning and they were alone. There was a pause where they stood there and Hermione could see Ron thinking.

"I don't know much" he said finally. "I was only a baby Hermione, Ginny—my sister wasn't even born but…I asked my older brother Bill once, he was at Hogwarts and he said it was bad, people were dying and kids were being pulled out of classrooms, my mum lost both her brothers, they went down like heroes Dad says and she still gets really upset. I don't know what happened that night Harry stopped him but I do know that it was a terrible time. There was something in the air, you just knew, everyone was tense and everyone was scared and some nights we could hear mum or dad prowling around outside Charlie said seeing if there was anyone there. You didn't trust anyone. It was horrible"

Hermione swallowed.

"Ron" she whispered feeling her terror increase as she thought about what Ron had said and what he had heard about that dark time in history.

"Ron do you think he's going to use the Philosopher's Stone to come back?"

Ron looked at her for a long time and there was no laughter in his eyes, no mocking or teasing glint, nothing but a terrible kind of fear and weariness that Hermione had not seen before. Ever.

"I don't know" he said finally. "But maybe your right, the only reason he never took the school last time was because Dumbledore was there Dad told me that. That was the only way that students could go really, they knew they were going to be safe. I think that as long as we have Dumbledore then we are safe, and…and I think he knows what he's doing having that stone in here"

Hermione nodded but she couldn't help but feel cold still.

Ron smiled at her. "Come on" he said finally. "Let's go eat, and if you want you can lecture me about my revision timetable and tell me how I'm going to fail everything. But only for half an hour" he said suddenly stern.

"After that I need you to read over my potions essay. I completely forgot how to do a forgetfulness potion and knowing the old bat he'll put it on the upcoming test. I don't want to think about the shadows of war as my Dad used to say, not when there isn't going to be one."

Hermione nodded but she was hardly listening if she was being honest with himself. All she could think of was that the carefully constructed peace of the wizarding world might be crashing down around them and she had no clue what to do other than go along for the ride and hope like hell that someone could stop whoever it was from stealing that stone.

* * *

 **Next Chapter-The gang sit their exams as they realise their time is up, Dumbledore gives a cryptic hint, Harry has a plan, Calla grips onto he courage and meanwhile in the Ministry, James and Sirius run into Dumbledore who realises something is wrong at Hogwarts.**

 **And let me know what you think**


	11. The Singularity

**Hi, so here is another chapter, this one is the first part of the book chapter Through The Trapdoor and will be continued in the next chapter of this fanfic.**

 **Also it was a lot of fun to have Dumbledore give the hint for Calla. I know in the book all the credit goes to Hermione but this was a lot of fun to write.**

 **Some events skipped over and changed but most of this is still the same.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.**

 **Please Read and Review.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 11-The Singularity

The gang sit their exams as they realise their time is up, Dumbledore gives a cryptic hint, Harry has a plan, and Calla finds her courage. Meanwhile in the Ministry, James and Sirius run into Dumbledore and realise something is wrong at Hogwarts.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** Through The Trapdoor-Part One.

* * *

The weeks after their excursion into the forest were dedicated to exam revision. They were upon them and neither Harry nor Ron could find excuses not to revise though Calla had been exasperated and amused to hear Ron's plan to coast through life on a combination of his good looks and Harry's fame. They spent most of the weekends in the library and Hermione had begun pulling out her old notes with a frightening expression on her face that told Calla that she was going to learn all of it and probably a bit more.

Harry and Ron started studying on the Quidditch pitch and Hermione had gone to the library. Calla had just gone and sent an owl to Uncle Remus not only enquiring about what she suspected would be on her History of Magic paper but also asking if he was alright after the last full moon. So, she was walking back to the common room her head in a book when she all but ran into someone and judging by the fact that, that someone was taller than her and dressed in a royal blue robe embroidered with silver stars she knew who it was. Her books tumbled out of her arms and onto the floor with a loud bang as she looked up.

There was only one person in this school that was dressed that way.

"Ah Miss Black" Professor Dumbledore cried. "What a wonderful coincidence"

Calla highly doubted that. Professor Dumbledore did not wander around hallways looking for coincidences. He had come to her for a reason and Calla with all the fear that was still held by students who had either lived through or remembered Voldemort's first reign of terror suddenly wondered if there was a reason why he had come to her.

"Is my Dad ok? Is it Mum? Has something happened?"

Professor Dumbledore blinked at her and then smiled shook his head.

"As far as I know your mother and father are both fine. I am merely wandering the halls at my pleasure. Sometimes I get board in my office Miss Black and I desire to see my students in action, all those young minds cramming over their books. As I see you are" he said and with a wave of his wand Calla found her books back in her arms and her Herbology manual on top.

"Ah Herbology" Professor Dumbledore said that strange twinkle in his eye. "A wonderful subject. I find the plant Devil Snare to be one of the more interesting ones. Well I must go…Professor Snape I believe wishes to see me though I doubt it will be a very pleasant conversation. Good day Miss Black"

And then he was gone down the corridor in a swish of blue and silver.

Her Dad was right Calla thought, Dumbledore was insane.

Still that night she read over the paragraph of Devil Snare in her book just in case it came up on the test the following day. It didn't of course but she still couldn't shake throughout the entire week that there was a reason why their headmaster had gone out of his way to tell her that she should read up on Devil's Snare and the fact that it sulks in the sun. Calla didn't tell anyone and she thought that she managed to get good grades on everything and she didn't tell anyone the fact that Dumbledore had told her to look up a plant that had no buisness being the exam for the first time.

Still she supposed it couldn't hurt for next year.

* * *

Harry was thinking hard. Ron had just snapped at the girls who were both going through their past History of Magic papers that, that sort of behaviour made him feel ill. They had finished their exams and they had a glorious week or so in which they could forget all about them. He watched an owl fly across the sky and turned his attention to Hagrid.

And then it hit.

He stood up, he was barely aware of Ron, Hermione and Calla following him their bags in their hands and their ties loosened up the grassy path where he was shelling peas. He felt feverish, he felt like his very skin was on fire not just his scar. He felt like he was on the edge of something, that tonight something was going to happen that was going to change his life forever.

Who did walk around with dragon eggs in their pocket, who knew that Hagrid had wanted one for years. Snape would know. And he would also know that Hagrid was a soft touch when it came to drink. Everyone knew that, even his father knew that. Harry heard Hermione's soft gasp and knew that she had reached the same conclusion that he had done and then Hagrid said the words about that bloody three headed dog that was his pet that made all four of them freeze.

"Play a bit of music and he falls right asleep"

Calla swore loudly, and Ron's mouth fell open and Harry saw the look on Hagrid's face drop as he just realised the consequences of what he had not only told them but told the stranger. Finally, Harry felt the entire puzzle come together, all of what they had seen and heard and stumbled across this year coming to a head, coming to a screeching stop.

And then he was gone.

He was running back through the grounds and he was only aware that Calla was behind him because she could outstrip most people in running, he skidded to a stop in the entrance hall, Calla skidding neatly to a stop next to him and Ron and Hermione bringing up the rear both panting and clutching their sides. There was a pause where he stood there and looked around trying to see something that wasn't Voldemort coming back, getting stronger, trying to take over the wizarding world again, coming after his mum and dad again. He looked at Calla and Ron and could see the same fear reflected in their faces. Sometimes Harry envied the fact that Hermione had never known this kind of fear that still gripped the Wizarding World today.

"It wasn't a stranger he was talking to it was Snape" Harry said finally. "We have to go to Professor Dumbledore"

But Professor Dumbledore was already gone.

* * *

"Right" Ron said. Apparently he was taking charge now. Hermione after their confrontation with both Snape and McGonagall was looking very nervous and Calla had gone white again. Harry was gazing across the pitch but his eyes were glittering with something Ron had never seen before and didn't want to see ever again.

"Well this is what we've got to do, Harry and I will go to the third floor and check that Fluffy is still there and growling, Hermione follow Snape and make sure that he stays either in his office or in the staff room and Cal…Cal what do you want to do?"

"I think" Calla said finally. "Now is the time to bring in my Dad. With Dumbledore gone…he should at least know that someone is after the stone…if Dumbledore is at the Ministry then he can go find him and let him know"

Ron nodded. Finally something resembling a plan.

Ron was good with plans, plans were like chess, they were methodical and something good always came out of it win or lose.

But of course as was many things in Ron Weasley's life, this was not the case.

* * *

They were rumbled clearly. Calla had, had barely enough time to scrawl a note to her Dad and sent a brown school owl flying towards the Ministry (or what she supposed was the Ministry) and then she was back in the common room.

She could tell that something terrible had happened. Hermione was white, Ron was sat with his hands pulling at his red hair and Harry had a look on his face that told her that he was about to do something very brave, and exceptionally stupid.

"What happened?" she asked sitting down.

"Professor Snape caught me outside the staff room and I made up an excuse of waiting for Professor Flitwick and then I ran"

"And Harry and I were outside the room where Fluffy is but McGonagall came along and made it pretty clear that if she caught us there again it would be another fifty points each. So all in all were sunk"

"No were not" Harry said finally.

"I'm going to get the stone"

Calla put her head in hands as he began to talk and wondered if this was what Aunt Lily felt like every time Uncle James did something stupid.

By the time he had finished telling them all what would happen if Voldemort came back (and Calla tuned him out because she knew what would happen if he came back—her mother still cried on mother's day thinking of the grandma that Calla would never get to meet) Hermione had gone very white and Ron was pale too. Harry turned to her his face desperate.

"Cal come on, you know what's going to happen if he gets back. Tell them you understand"

"I do" Calla said through white lips and slightly gritted teeth. There was a pause where she sat there and tried to find that courage her Dad and her Mum had had when they had been running from Death Eaters and making their stand against darkness, now it was her turn. She was the daughter of Sirius Black and this might be only time she would ever get to prove that she was enough to her father when she had never felt like it and she had to stand up against evil. She had to stand against Voldemort. And if she lived then she knew that she would continue to keep fighting against him.

"We could use the map" Hermione said sitting up.

"What" Harry said looking bewildered. "Your not coming"

"Of course we are" Hermione snapped waspishly.

"You don't really think your that good do you?" Calla said scorn in her voice.

Harry grinned.

That night they were all ready. They had eaten, and Hermione had studied her notes and Harry had the map, Calla was pulling on her boots over her jeans and her jumper, Ron and Harry were the same and Hermione was in a skirt and tights. They had left Neville on the floor and that didn't feel like a good omen. But they had to keep going. This was bigger than them. This was bigger than all of them.

And just like that they were at the trapdoor and all Calla Black, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley could see was darkness.

And then they jumped.

* * *

It had been a long day and Sirius Black had been on his way to the floo network with James when the green fire erupted in the middle of the office and Professor Dumbledore came out looking somewhat worried. He turned to look at his best friend, James shrugged and Sirius could already tell that today was going to be one of those days. All he wanted to do was go home and snuggle with Marlene in the safety of his house, Merlin when had he become that person?

"Ah Sirius, James I was wondering if I could have a word, I received an owl from the minister to come immediately but he has no idea about what's going on and I have a feeling that the stone might be compromised"

James and Sirius exchanged looks, they had been expecting this since that Quidditch match when they had been told about the stone. Dumbledore had not said who he suspected involved but they both knew who whoever it was, was working for.

"We'll come to Hogwarts and do a check with you just as soon as we've alerted Kingsley" James said gesturing to his desk.

Just then there was a tap at the window and Sirius saw one of the interdepartmental memos with a letter it had probably took off an owl. He took it and saw the scrawled writing of his daughter. He ripped open the letter and the dread that rushed through him at the words sent him nearly rocketing to his knees in terror.

Wordlessly he turned to James letter outstretched. James took it and his face became grim.

Calla had not said much, but she had said enough.

 _Dad,_

 _We know someone is after the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore is not here and therefore we are probably going to go and stop whoever is stealing it tonight ourselves, I don't know much but Harry's got a look in his eye that I don't like. We don't want Voldemort back. If you can get here hurry, if not we'll try and do our best and make you proud._

 _Love,_

 _Calla._

Fuck.

* * *

 **And yeah that's a cliffhanger to end on isn't it?.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this one, and I will endeavour to update sooner rather than later.**

 **Next Chapter-Harry, Hermione, Calla and Ron fight their way through the series of challenges laid out before them in an attempt to stop Snape from stealing the Philosopher's Stone. **


	12. Standing Up

**Hi, here we go, another chapter in two days but I was just desperate to finish this before deadlines began so here we go. I hope you all enjoy this story and I can confirm there are just three more chapters of this story left to go!**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine, some of the dialogue is different however and Calla Black is of course mine.**

 **A mixture of dialogue from both book and movie here as well so please keep that in mind.**

 **And let me know what you think, Please Read and Review.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 12-Standing Up.

Harry, Hermione, Calla and Ron battle through a series of challenges laid out before them in an attempt to stop Snape from attempting to steal the Philosopher's Stone.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** Through The Trapdoor-Part Two.

* * *

In the days that followed that wild night Ron Weasley would have no idea how they had done it. He would tell the story to his worrying mother, to an irate Mr Potter and Mr Black, to his father who had been silent through the entire conversation and to his potions master, his head of house and his headmaster who had all listened. Hermione and Calla would have similar interviews…Harry…but no…he was getting ahead of himself.

* * *

They landed with a thump onto something soft. Ron who had been expecting to utterly die by having his head bashed in into the stone was surprised to find that he was still alive. Hermione landed next to him looking like she already wanted to stop and she paused when she forced herself to breathe in and out and she looked at Ron. A second later the spell so to speak was broken as Calla collapsed next to them her dark hair disappearing into the darkness of whatever it was that they had landed on. Hermione scrambled to her feet but Ron was not in the mood to move anywhere and neither was Harry who had collapsed next to him his eyes very green in the darkness.

Calla was already scrambling upright and Hermione was steadying her. Harry caught Ron's eye and they both knew that they were lucky to be alive right now. Actually it was really lucky that this plant thing was here and that they had landed on it. He said that out loud and while Harry nodded, Calla gasped out loud her face draining of blood. To be honest looking at how pale she was Ron was amazed that she was not half dead already though he thought his theory that she might be half vampire might have merit.

"Lucky" she cried out and Hermione gasped catching on. "Don't you too idiots realise what your sat on? That's…that's Devil Snare" she said. Ron who had no idea what that was noticed however that she titled her head to the side and narrowed her eyes as if a piece of the puzzle had come together. Hermione picked up the slack almost instantly.

"Look at what's happening to you both" she cried.

Ron looked down. The plant thing had come to life and had wrapped itself around them. Harry's legs were bound and Ron couldn't move his torso and the vines were only getting closer and he felt like he had been battered and bruised. This was the first obstacle that they had faced and they were already losing. Snape was going to get the stone.

And that was when the panic set in.

"Devil's Snare is deadly fun and will sulk in the sun" Calla said turning to Hermione.

"Light a fire!" Harry cried trying to claw the damn thing back from his throat.

"There's no wood"

And that was when Ron exploded.

"NO WOOD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

With a wave of her wand Hermione produced her little jam jar fire at the same time Calla cried "Lumos" both of which Ron knew were advanced magic and then he could breathe again.

"Well" he said as Calla pulled him to his feet. "Lucky we didn't panic"

Hermione shot him a look so poisonous he completely ignored what Harry was going to say.

Instead they made their way through the tunnel to another task.

And this one was primed for the youngest seeker in the century just as the last one was right for bookworms like Hermione and Calla. Ron had a feeling, there was something in this that he couldn't shake and he wanted nothing more to do but stop and try and put his finger on it but he had no idea what it was. Something, someone had put things in place here that were not adding up and someone had certainly gotten to that key beforehand.

And then there was the chessboard.

When he saw it Ron knew. But he smiled nonetheless.

* * *

Calla looked across the board. Ron had directed Hermione to a castle, Harry a bishop and her a rook and he had sat upon the knight's horse so that he could see the board. He had a look of concentration on his face and somehow Calla knew this task, which had to be McGonagall's due to the amount of transfiguration that it would take to transfigure chess pieces. She had known about the Devils Snare because Dumbledore had told her to look it up. Harry had managed to get the key because he had known what to look for with all the skill of a seeker and Ron was good at chess. All they had to do was figure out if any of the tasks ahead were good for Hermione's skill set and then her idea was golden.

But still she couldn't help the fact that she knew that their luck, their brilliant luck was going to run out and someone was going to get hurt. She had told her Dad that she was going to and get the Philosopher's Stone and that they were on borrowed time but she had no idea if he had gotten the letter or not. There was so much here up to chance.

Ron gave a long sigh and then he turned to face Harry. "Only way" he said finally. "I have to be taken"

"Look!" he shouted when all three of them shouted at him that he couldn't do that. "This is chess. This has to happen and it has to be me and it's best that its me rather than you. Hermione and Calla you're the brains of this operation and Harry…it has to be you who gets the Stone. Don't ask me why but it has to be you, this is my sacrifice, this is my battleground, this is where I fight. Dad used to say it took all kinds of battles to win the last war. Well…this is mine. Once it's over Harry can take the King and then you can go forwards."

There was nothing they could do because it made such perfect sense, they couldn't even deny it. Hermione screamed when he fell, Harry jumped and Calla dropped into a crouch feeling sick. Neither of the girls left their squares and Harry could finally cross and take the crown that the King threw at his feet. He didn't pick it up instead the three of them ran straight to Ron who was a crumpled red-headed heap on the floor dirt covering his face.

"There's no blood" Calla pointed out. "If he was in real trouble there would be blood wouldn't there?" she turned to Hermione who shrugged and Calla was aware that this was the first time since they had started Hogwarts that neither one of them had, had an answer to something. Harry next to them paused dithering. What did they do? Did they go forwards or finally admit defeat run back and get help?

"Look" he said but Calla knew what he was going to say because out of all of them she had known Harry the longest and she knew how he thought.

"No way" she said firmly. "No way are we separating not now, we go on the three of us. Ron's right we have to stop Snape. All of this is for nothing if we give up now"

Harry opened his mouth to argue and then shut it and nodded. Calla stood up brushing dirt of her leggings and tucking her hands into the folds of her dark blue jumper. She held out a hand for Hermione who took it and they started walking towards the other chamber together. It felt wrong leaving Ron on his own but they didn't have a choice and Harry hurried on after them.

* * *

The fourth chamber was filled with a troll who was unconscious. Rather pleased that they didn't have to deal with another one (even if it meant that Snape had managed to stay one step ahead of them) they carried on into the next chamber that was filled with potions and a riddle and much to Hermione's delight something that she was finally good at.

"Logic" she breathed. Oh she loved this, she used to do riddles like this with her Dad when they were in the car together. Magic defied logic however and that was why Harry and Calla—who had grown up with magic all their lives didn't understand what it was. This was how muggles explained away somethings and whomever had written this (and it had to be Snape because of all the bottles) had known that. Hermione felt giddy.

Calla and Harry sat down against the stone rock of the chamber as she prowled up and down muttering to herself and no doubt looking mad even for this world. She had to admit Snape was rather good. Every time she thought she had this she lost it again. It was ten minutes or so before she got it and then she had to double check it again and again before she allowed herself to stand up and say triumphantly. "Got it"

"This one" she said pointing "Will, let us go forwards and this one will let us go back"

"There's not much in that one" Calla said pointing at the one that was supposed to send them forwards. "One of us at best will get that and then what?"

"Well that settles that then" Harry said. "I go forwards you two go back get Ron and go straight to McGonagall. Hopefully Uncle Sirius got your letter Cal and he and Dad will be on their way. All I have to do is hold Snape off, Merlin knows they've been wanting to do the rest of years"

"Are you mad?" Hermione asked. "You can't do this on your own, you need us. What are you going to do if…" and she trailed off. Calla finished her sentence for her.

"If Voldemort is down there?"

Harry shrugged. "Got lucky once didn't I?"

"Look" Calla said. "It makes more sense if I go. You're the Boy Who Lived Harry, I'm just me. You're the one they pin their Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs hopes on. I'm not the same as you…Dad…well it's easier if I go"

"Calla Uncle Sirius loves you, you're his whole world. If you had told him years ago that you felt you weren't good enough, that you didn't think mischief and pranking was fun and you preferred books he would have shrugged and said ok. He loves you so much even I can see it" Harry snapped. "Only you don't. I have to go because…because this is my fight too. If Snape brings him back he goes straight after my family first and I should have stopped this. I am alive to stop this from happening, look don't ask me to explain It I can't but…but I know it has to be me. Ron's right it has to be me. And you too need to go back. Ron needs looking after Hermione can stay with him and Calla you can run back to the room with the keys grab a broom and fly even if you don't want to…take the map"

He thrusted it at Hermione. "And go."

There was a stunned silence. Calla's dark eyes were swimming with tears but she nodded. Hermione hugged him and a second later Calla joined in so all Harry could see where brown curls and a mess of dark waves. Then they pulled back.

"Books and cleverness. Harry there are somethings more important" Hermione said. "Good luck, take care" and then she took a swig shuddered a little thrust the bottle at Calla muttered something about it being like ice and then walked out the fire.

Harry took his own bottle.

"You survive" Calla said finally. "I cannot carry the burden of being a Marauder child alone you know."

"I know but Cal…just if I don't..."

"Harry—"

"If I don't just—talk to your Dad ok. You and I both know life is too short."

Calla opened her mouth and then shrugged. "I think sometimes when they cursed Mum they cursed me too. I was inside her belly and I think that's why I'm not like other people, I don't feel like other people. I think something's wrong with me Harry and one day he's going to see it and it's going to disgust him. I don't know why"

It was the first time she had ever spoken about how she felt or about what had happened to her when she had been in the womb. Harry paused unable to move forwards. Calla was never straightforward and there was something in this that he didn't understand and suspected he never would.

"Different is ok" he said finally. "Different is good Cal. This is Hogwarts, nobody knows the definition of the word normal. Just…just tell them that. Because I know they don't care"

Calla watched him for a second longer and then she hugged him. She didn't say anything but it would have been worse if she had and Harry knew it. Calla was not a girl to weep or cry she was tough, like Ginny Weasley tough, she had grown up with Harry and Ron and Fred and George and Neville and she had been born into loss and pain and death and a war. Harry didn't think he had ever seen her cry before. Instead she took a deep breath and turned around her head held high, every inch her mother's daughter and downed the potion. Throwing the bottle as if she was at a rock concert (and that was Uncle Sirius right there) so it smashed she turned and walked back leaving Harry to drain his own bottle and walk forwards.

It wasn't Snape though. It wasn't even Voldemort.

* * *

Hermione had Ron's head in her lap and was attempting to wake him. The adrenaline rush they had all been on was coming down around them and she was shaking. Calla didn't feel much better.

"You have to go" Hermione said as if she knew that Calla didn't have much left in her. "You have to go get help Cal. If Harry has any chance" and then she looked away and looked back her expression helpless.

"You have to go"

And with a tremendous effort Calla went. She staggered forwards and ran tripping a little as she went and banging her knee on some rocks tearing at her leggings but she ran down the passage way through the chessboard and then she stopped. Someone was coming. Ducking behind the remains of the White Queen she hid.

Something soared through the air and landed next to her. A white phoenix practically shivering next to her and she stared at it's perfection for a second. It seemed to almost give her courage. It did give her courage. She was not going to hide here. She was going to fight whatever was coming and therefore she stood up gripped her wand and stepped out. The bird disappeared as the footsteps came near.

But it wasn't Voldemort risen from the dead hurrying to meet his servant, it wasn't the hoards of Death Eaters coming to re-join their master.

It was Professor Dumbledore.

"Calla" he said and she registered her first name and the immense look of relief on his face. "Where…are you alright my girl?"

"I'm fine" she said because it was true. "Ron's unconscious though Professor and Hermione's near the edge and Harry's…"

"Gone after him?" Dumbledore said, Calla nodded and then without another word he disappeared.

Calla turned around but she had barely gotten two steps forwards before there were the sound of more running footsteps. It was Uncle James and Aunt Lily. Wordlessly Calla pointed at the door Dumbledore had just ran through and they went. Uncle Remus was there too.

"Ron's hurt and Hermione's…" she called after him but he was gone too and there were the sounds of someone else coming through the passageway and onto the chessboard and she turned to see the one person she had wanted to see more than anything tonight.

Her Dad ran through his hair a mess and staggered to a stop in front of her. She was aware that she shaking, that she was covered in dust, her clothes were ripped her leg and elbow were aching, she was tired emotionally and physically, that she was a mess and not at all brave right now, but she couldn't take her eyes off him even as she felt rather than saw her mother skid to a stop next to him her own hair flying and her own face as white as her partner of nearly thirteen years.

"Dad" she said finally. It was all she could say and then it all came spilling out of her. "I'm sorry, I couldn't do it, I tried, I really tried but I'm not like either one you. The Death Eaters all those years ago must have done something because I'm not as brave as you I'm terrified. I'm not the daughter of war heroes I'm just some stupid little girl that doesn't like pranks or making noise and doesn't know how to change so that you can love me. If you tell me how I will but…but Harry says different is normal and I don't know all I know it that the mirror showed…I don't know how to be brave Dad, I don't know how to be your daughter, I don't know how to make you happy"

She was aware her mum was watching her with an expression of horror and her Dad's face was so terrible she couldn't put it into words but she didn't care. She had felt like she had been wanting to say this for years and she was never going to get another chance to say it again. All of her careful emotions were spilling out and she couldn't stop the tears or the fact that she was still apologising though for what she wasn't sure. For the trouble she had caused? For the fact that she was terrified instead of brave? For the fact that Harry was alone right now? For what? She didn't understand anything anymore.

"Cal" he said kneeling down next to her but she could barely see anymore either. Everything came crashing down upon her in that long moment and her courage went out and she pitched backwards into her Dad's arms her hair spilling out on the chessboard floor into a dead faint and the joy that came with complete and utter oblivion.

* * *

 **And yeah, that's everything so let me know what you think and I will try and update sooner rather than later.**

 **Next Chapter-The Man With Two Faces-Part One-James and Lily rush to their son's side. Remus must deal with Hermione and Ron who realise they got it wrong. Sirius is in a state and Snape feels like he needs a pay increase. Mostly point of view of adults. **


	13. Defiance

**And here is another chapter, there are only two more chapters left of this story so I hope you all enjoy! This chapter does take place with most of the point of views of the adults and the next one will have one as well with the final chapter taking the point of view of the children.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just this little plot.**

 **Please Read and Review and let me know what you think.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 13-Defiance.

James and Lily rush to their son's side. Remus must deal with Hermione and Ron who realise they got it wrong. Sirius is in a state, and Snape meanwhile feels like he needs a pay increase. Mostly point of view of the adults.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** The Man with Two Faces-Part One.

* * *

Remus had only a second to realise that James and Lily had gone forwards and Sirius had stayed with his daughter until he got to the anti-chamber and he saw Hermione Granger looking bewildered and Ron Weasley sitting up blood coming out of a wound on his head and looking like he'd been bashed around. Looking around the chessboard at the pieces that were strewn about he realised that that was what had probably happened and he thought to himself it was a miracle that these children had come out of this alive.

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes and Remus forced himself to calm down. His heart had been doing laps ever since he and Marlene had gotten Sirius's warning and he reminded himself that there were two eleven year old kids here not Death Eaters and that they were scared out of their minds.

"Hermione" he said kneeling down on the stone of the board. "Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded swallowing.

"Ron got hit in the head" she said finally. Remus turned to Ron. He had a concussion without a shadow of a doubt and he was shivering but there was nothing Remus really wanted to do until he got to Madame Pomfrey. The simple fact of the matter was he didn't know enough about healing to try and do something. Most of the stuff he could do involved limbs and that was only because of his…well…

"Ron can you walk?" he asked. Ron nodded gritting his teeth in a way that reminded Remus so much of his uncles that he had to look away. Hermione was already on her feet but she moved towards the door where he imagined James and Lily had thrown themselves through.

"Hermione this way please" he said helping Ron to his feet. Hermione turned to look at him her wand in her hand. She looked exhausted and tired and close to tears but resolute nonetheless. Remus had to admire that if nothing else.

"They don't need you in the way" he said answering her unasked question. "At this point Hermione you'd only be in the way. That's a battle between wizards who have been fighting for longer than you've been alive, if you go in there now you'll get yourself and someone else killed probably"

He spoke bravely to her, treating her like an adult and he knew she understood. She stuck her wand in her pocket and followed him.

Just as they were back in the room with the now still keys there were another pair of footsteps. Remus passed a still weak Ron to Hermione and raised his wand. It was Snape.

"Oh it's you" he said lowering it. Snape took in Ron and Hermione and then sighed.

"Black just took his brat up, looks like she fainted. Potters times three?"

"Fighting" Remus said shortly "With Dumbledore"

Snape nodded.

"Wait" Hermione cried stopping both of them. She was pointing at Snape and she was almost feral. "You're the one whose supposed to be stealing the stone! We came here to stop you. What are you doing here? Harry's fighting you!"

Remus made a mental note to get her a calming draught as soon as they were in the hospital wing.

Snape stared at her and then at Remus who shrugged because it wasn't really the kids fault they thought it was Severus was it?"

"It wasn't me Miss Granger" he said finally. "It was Professor Quirrell. Professor Dumbledore has suspected him for a time and tonight only proved his point"

Hermione burst into tears. Looking rather alarmed Snape hurried off.

"Thought him playing the harp was a bit odd" Ron muttered dazed.

Remus made a mental note to find out what the hell that was about but his attention was driven towards Hermione who was sobbing so hard she was almost vibrating.

"Hermione" he said gently pulling the girl's hands away from her face.

"Oh Mr Lupin we got it so wrong didn't we? We all thought it was Snape and now Harry is going to die and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is going to come back and it's going to be all our fault"

Remus sighed. There was nothing he could do to stop her tears so with her crying and Ron half asleep on his arm he conjured up a ladder and had they both climb in and then walked them to the hospital wing. Poppy immediately fussed over Ron which left Remus to get Hermione a calming potion. She took two gulps and instantly stopped crying. Good now they could have something resembling a conversation. He saw Sirius step out from a curtained bed and walk down the hallway but there was nothing he could do about that.

"Hermione" he said passing her the potion. "I want you to tell me everything from the beginning"

And so she did.

Actually he had to admit he was stunned they had manged to do so much in such a short time. Better not tell Moody. He'd have them in summer school for junior members of Order of the Phoenix before anyone knew what was happening.

"Ok" he said once she'd stopped. "Firstly Hermione none of this is your fault. Should you have come to someone yes but with Harry and Calla's inherited bravado I'm not surprised by this. Also you are not responsible for Voldemort coming back"

Hermione looked at him and Remus nodded. "Say the name dear" he said finally. "Nothing makes him more powerful dead or alive than people not saying his name I promise you. If he comes back then it was not your fault but he wont, not tonight I don't think. You did amazing tonight and everyone is alive. That's a major achievement. You battled magic nobody should have tonight and you should be proud of it"

Hermione nodded once. Remus could have made her swear that she understood but until she got proof that all of her friends were alive. Remus could understand that so he didn't even try.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked hugging her knees to her chest. Remus nodded because what the hell did they have to lose at this point in time?

"Do you think Vol…Voldemort is dead?"

"No" he said finally. "I don't think there was anything human in him to die. I think eventually he'll come back but you don't have to worry about it. Not tonight, not tomorrow. When he comes back we can fight him again and we can win but he's not coming back tonight"

Hermione nodded and Remus could tell that she believed him.

"Also" she said finishing her draught. "Can I ask something else, it's err…it's been bugging me"

"Go on"

"Who is Wormtail?"

Off all the questions she could have asked that was not the one he was expecting and he felt a pull in his gut as he thought of Peter.

"What err…What did Harry tell you?"

"That he was your friend, that he helped you build the map. And that as far as he and Calla knew he had died in the war"

Well, Peter their friend had died in the war hadn't he? Someone else had been born out of that.

"That's true" he said finally. "He was our friend and he died in the war. And…and don't go asking about him please? It would make James and Sirius...angry"

Hermione stared at him with those wide eyes for a second and then nodded.

"You should get some sleep" he said finally. "Professor Dumbledore will probably have a lot to say when you and Ron wake up." Hermione kicked off her shoes and Remus stood up to give her some privacy when she said something else.

"I know what you are by the way."

Remus turned.

Hermione shrugged grinning. "Calla writes to you after every full moon. Harry's not that good at keeping a secret either and your name is Lupin and your nickname was Moony on the map. Wasn't that hard to figure out. Are you alright?"

"Yes" Remus said recovering. "Yes I am. Go to sleep now. Someone will be here when you wake up"

He pulled the curtain to allow her to change into the pyjama's Poppy had brought and allowed himself a quick smile. He never thought that he would met a witch that was smarter than Lily Evans but he thought that perhaps he had just met Lily's match.

* * *

Lily looked around the anti-chamber. James had gone with Harry and while Lily's heart and every bone in her body ached to be with her baby boy she couldn't help but look around the room at that damn mirror and the stone under her feet that had once been her child's Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and she found that she couldn't breathe. She forced herself to walk leaving Dumbledore with that damn stone that had fallen out of her baby's pocket.

"Are you alright?" said a voice behind her. She turned to see Sev looking at her his head tilted to the side. Lily couldn't speak but Sev had always had the same quality James had—the ability to understand her without her needing to say anything. Sev shot her another look and then fell into step beside her.

"I am seriously thinking about asking for a pay rise" he muttered. "I should have done my time in Azkaban rather than go through this, teaching dunderheads."

Lily let out a watery giggle.

* * *

Hermione took one look at Harry alive drained her sleeping potion and was gone in minutes. Ron was already asleep. Calla had not yet woken up and Sirius had not yet returned. Remus sighed feeling his bones ache and settled down at least until Molly and Arthur could arrive.

James who had been with his son his face white with Lily turned to him and Remus who had understood James better than James understood himself knew what he was asking for. He shrugged. He didn't know what the hell was going on with Sirius either. Marlene pulled her head around the curtain and stood up her face white and pale and her hands trembling.

"Remus" she said her voice completely steady. "Can I ask you to keep an eye on Cal. I need to go find…" she trailed off but Remus was already nodding. If there was one person who was going to calm down Sirius right now it was Marlene.

She was gone in a flash of dark hair.

Remus sighed and tried not to smile when he saw the map tucked into the desk draw beside Calla's bed.

* * *

Severus found Dumbledore in his office looking at that bit of red rock that had cost nearly four children their lives. The thing had to be destroyed even he could see that. Flamel had, had a good run but it was over and everyone knew it. With the Dark Lord out there nowhere would be safe.

"I know" Dumbledore said as he came in "You were right. Keeping the stone here was dangerous"

Severus took a moment to savour the I told you so he'd been sitting on for a year.

"You should go downstairs" he said finally. "Potter's inches away from yelling at someone and Black's fucked off into the grounds again. The school will wake up soon but you might want to deal with the two pissed off father's downstairs before they do"

Dumbledore sighed again looking at the stone.

"All of that for immortal life like this" he said finally. "He had Quirrell drinking unicorn blood you know?"

Severus did not know that and shuddered at the thought.

"Tom" Dumbledore said to the stone almost sadly. "How did you come to this?"

There was a pause that Snape filed down to Dumbledore being a mysterious old coot and resisted the urge to stomp his foot.

"Potter and Black?" he said finally. "And even I think you owe those brats the truth. Before you put them in detention for the rest of their education or throw them out"

But this was Dumbledore so he shouldn't get his hopes up for either one of those things.

Dumbledore nodded and he was gone before Severus remembered that he was going to ask for a pay rise. He took one more look at the stone and sighed again. All of this he thought, for one bit of rock.

Four brats and their defiance against the Dark Lord.

How had it come to this?

And he followed the old man out of the office to go and watch his worst enemy yell at the man who had saved him from a lifetime in Azkaban.

* * *

 **And there you go, I hope you all enjoy and I will endeavour to update sooner rather than later.**

 **I am hoping to get one more update and then the final chapter will be posted a bit nearer to Christmas.**

 **Next Chapter-The penultimate chapter to this story. Marlene and Sirius have a talk and then the Black-McKinnon Family come to an understanding. James and Lily talk to Harry about the actions that he took and try to answer the questions that he has been waiting to ask for a long time. **


	14. Pick Yourself Up

**And here is another chapter, the penultimate one, I apologise for the lateness of this chapter and I will endeavour to update the final chapter sooner rather than later. But here we go, what with Christmas and Uni and work this chapter has been a nightmare to get out so I hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine just this little plot and some of the characters within it.**

 **Please Read and Review and I will try and update around Christmas.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 14-Pick Yourself Up.

The penultimate chapter of this story. Marlene and Sirius have a talk and then the Black/McKinnon family come to an understanding. James and Sirius meanwhile talk in the aftermath of the Potter's decision to not tell Harry about the Prophecy.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** The Man with Two Faces-Part Two.

* * *

Marlene found her partner in crime outside. It was predictable really the fact that she still knew where to find him. Sirius had not changed all that much. He was still easy to find underneath the old yew tree in the grounds which had always she supposed constituted as 'their' place. They had studied there and kissed and there and cried there and had she remembered with a small smile done a lot more than kissing there when they had been young and stupid and had known that the world as they knew it was coming down around them.

Sirius was sat by the tree and without a word she sat next to him wincing, it was dark out and the moon was gone, a new moon on the horizon and another long painful month for her friend to regroup and regain and try to live as best he could. She turned and waited for Sirius to speak. He would speak she knew that. Sirius Black could lay claim to a lot of things but remaining silent was never one of them.

"She hates me" he said finally. Marlene shook her head. She had expected him to go down this route. Honestly there were times where it was funny that she could read him so well but she had to admit that this time it was not.

"No she doesn't" she said finally. "No Sirius it's not that if anything it's me"

Sirius looked at her as if she was insane.

"How is this your fault?"

Marlene shrugged. "I'm her mum Sirius, mums are supposed to know when something is wrong. This…inadequacy or whatever the hell it is that made her say all of this stuff this has been building for a long time and I didn't see it coming. For all I know I caused it"

She shrugged again at the look on his face finally giving the voice to the thoughts that had plagued her for nearly eleven years.

"Sirius I was four months pregnant when Travers turned his wand on me and he gave me a very long run with the cruciatus curse. I was half mad when he finished and if he and Yaxley had not gotten into a fight and reduced the anti apparition spell I would have died. I arrived at James house bleeding in the garden with three chunks of flesh gone out of my left leg, bleeding, in shock and pregnant. Poppy but me in a comma for a month and then bed rest for the reminder of my time with Calla. You know yourself that was a messy birth and then she was so still…she didn't cry, she didn't make much noise. You remember? You used to get up in the middle of the night to check she was breathing and sometimes neither one of us could tell. She was alive inside me. I know Lily and I know Alice both had definitions of the term of pregnancy but I know that Calla was alive inside me, sometimes during that long night it gave me hope. And then...and then there was nothing. She's always been a little strange, I think that was me. I don't know the damage that was done to her when I was tortured. We have to consider that a possibility and I think we have to tell her about it"

Sirius was silent for a long time during her speech and she could tell by the way his eyes had clouded over for a second that he was thinking about those long months where nearly every day it seemed he had come to tell her that he was going on missions or that someone was dead and there was nothing she could do about it. What it was like when Calla had been born and the terror that they had gone through thinking this one little bit of light in the darkness had been corrupted somewhat by the darkness they had tried to resist for so long.

For a second longer he didn't speak and then he spoke and his voice was low as if he was concealing the pain that those memories brought him. As if she didn't know the feeling as intimately as he did.

"I still think it's me. Look Marls" he said when she showed every sign of interrupting. "I was the one that she said all of that too. It was how to be a Marauder kid that she was scared about and…and I don't remember telling her to be like me. I don't want her to be like me. I remember some of the stuff me and James got up too. The pranks and the hurt that we caused and the humiliation and…wow time is a bitch isn't it? I didn't want her to be like me. I wanted her to be _her_."

"And somewhere along those lines" Marlene said seeing what was in front of her for the first time. "Calla got confused. I think thought…I think tonight, I don't think that was something we could have stopped. You and I would have done the same thing as she did and we both know it. She knew, Harry knew, Ron knew what would happen if…if _He_ came back. I'm furious at her for not coming to find one of us first but…I do understand where she came from"

"She did write" Sirius said wiping his eyes on his sleeve and grinning at her. "I got the letter. She did write. I suppose we have to give her that. It's more than what me or James would have done if we'd been in her shoes." He shook his head and Marlene pretended that she hadn't seen him cry knowing how he preferred it. She took a deep breath herself forcing herself to keep it together. There was nothing to be gained from both of them breaking down right now.

"I don't get why she doesn't it?" Sirius said finally. "I really don't Marls…you know the one thing I never wanted to be in the whole world was my Dad. Hell I didn't even really want kids because I was terrified I would turn out like him and then…but…they gave me to her in St Mungo's and this baby was there and I knew that I wasn't going to be like him. Funny but I knew. And now…now she's saying all of this stuff that I used to feel as a kid about my Dad and…she doesn't get it Marls. Doesn't get that she was the one thing that kept me going for a long time. I was prepared to walk back into my own version of childhood hell just so I could protect you and her. Prepared to give up and stay in the shadows just to see her smile one day and her eyes filled with something that wasn't fear. And she doesn't get it…"

Marlene gave a long sigh.

"Well maybe it's time we made sure she knew. Things are so much more complicated now. Harry's going to have questions and so is Calla. We need to figure out how much we want to tell her and…" she paused for a second. "I think Hermione Granger was asking about Peter before…she saw the map and she asked…Remus covered it up pretty well but…"

"I don't want her knowing about that rat" Sirius said pushing himself up off the floor. "And I don't want her to know how close Voldemort came to coming back tonight. Right now I've got bigger things to worry about"

Marlene knew she had lost that battle. It didn't matter. There were more golden years ahead of her before she had to tell her daughter about the man she had considered a good friend and how he had betrayed her father and her godfather and her uncle all in one night and Merlin knows how many other people in between.

She leaned her head on Sirius arm like she had done when she was seventeen and the world had been dark and dangerous and time had been spent just the two of them behind that tree trying to forget that the world had existed outside of the two of them.

Right now however it did.

And it had come crashing down on her daughter.

* * *

Calla first felt the stirring edges of consciousness probe her brain some time in (though she didn't know it) the afternoon. She had slept through most of the day, Harry was in an observation room to the left and Ron opposite in a cubicle. His parents had come down to see him and Mrs Weasley had also stretched out her welcome to Hermione. She was sat with her son while Mr Weasley had escorted Hermione down to the Great Hall to see his other sons and no doubt probe Hermione on information about what it was like living with muggles.

All of this meant that when Calla did eventually wake up, her eyelids heavy from sleep, she was alone.

Well, except for her parents.

Her Dad was sat on the corner of the bed looking out the window at the grounds. Judging from the way the sunlight was streaming over the bed she guessed that it was early morning and she bit her lip for a second taking in the tense stance that he had taken. Then she remembered, the stone, Harry, the fact that it was not Snape that had been after it and then…then she remembered everything she had said to her parents.

There was a movement next to her. She slammed her eyes shut but she knew it was her mother come back from wherever she had been. Well…no better time than the present to get this over with she supposed.

And then for the second time, Calla opened her eyes.

And she knew instantly that both of her parents had noticed that she was awake.

Her Dad moved first his face breaking into that smile that he saved for her. She had not seen it for a long time.

"Hello" she said finally.

Her Dad reached under pulled her up so she was sat up straight and then hugged her for a very long time. He didn't say anything for a long time and Calla didn't know what to say either. She had never seen her father like that so she just clutched him back even as her Mum reached out and tucked herself into Calla's other side she leaned into the hugs that she got. She was only beginning to realise that perhaps the whole going after the Stone thing had been a tad too reckless. Even for her.

"Well kiddo" her Dad said pulling back and smiling though it didn't quite meet his eyes. "You led us on a merry dance I can tell you"

"Did you get to Harry?" Calla asked and then suddenly with this one question there were more, "Did you stop Snape? And what about the Stone? And Ron? And Hermione? And…"

"Easy there Cal" her Mum said softly and Calla fell silent at once.

"Harry is fine, he's still sleeping at the minute but he did take a bit of a beating magically. Ron was in hospital for a day and then he got up no harm done, he's with Hermione now in the Great Hall for Breakfast. She had a long sleep and she's fine too. As for the Stone…well…Dumbledore's taken care of that. All you need to know is that it's not coming back to the school and Dumbledore has took steps to ensure that it will never be an issue again."

Calla opened her mouth and then shut it. She didn't want to know did she? So instead she leaned back down on her pillows and looked down at her hands. She bit her bottom lip for a second and then looked up and decided to bite the poisonous potion pill—so to speak.

There was a pause where there was silence and then Calla spoke again.

"Did you get Snape?"

"Ah" her Mum said and Calla looked at her. there was something in her voice that made Calla think that she had missed something. Her father had a very irritated expression on his face and yet her mum looked like she was stopping herself from laughing. She seemed almost amused.

"Well darling you got it wrong. It wasn't Snape. Turns out it was never Snape…Professor Snape sorry. It was Quirrell. He err…he was attempting to steal the stone for…Voldemort" her Mum gave a little shudder at the name. Calla knew she had never had the easy task of saying it as her Dad had always done.

She leaned back on the pillow thinking hard. They had gotten it wrong. It had not been Snape.

Huh.

And then she thought about it.

"Wow" she said finally. "We did miss a lot didn't we?"

"Yeah" her Dad said finally his impatience finally cutting through. "Let's talk about what nearly happened shall we? Cal I get it and I cannot say that I wouldn't do the same thing but…really? Why the hell didn't you go to a teacher the second you realised what was going on? Why didn't you write to me or anyone else at Christmas when you could put the pieces together? Do you have any idea what it was like going through that trapdoor and not having a clue if you were going to be alive when I got to the end of it? Any of those challenges could have killed you! You Calla Black"

Calla stared at him for a second and then looked down at her hands again.

"Sorry" she said finally.

"Sorry" her Dad said scathingly. "Kiddo believe me I'm not mad at you for that. What I don't get…what I don't get is what you said afterwards? Do you remember?"

Yeah Calla remembered. She remembered everything perfectly. She remembered everything she said and everything she had felt. She pulled the blankets up around her chest and then leaned back against the pillows. She nodded her throat too tight to speak. There was a seconds worth of pause and she dropped her eyes to the blanket in front of her and then she bit her bottom lip tugging it into her teeth and using the pain as a distraction.

There was a seconds worth of pause and then her Dad spoke in a voice that was deceptively calm.

"Do you want to tell me why the hell you think all of that…any of that…is true?"

There was a long pause as Calla tried to put her emotions into words as she thought about it.

"I feel odd" she said finally. "Like I don't belong sometimes and…I know you want a kid that can prank people and live up to the legacy that you created, I mean your both War Heroes and yet…I think about fighting Voldemort like you did and it terrifies me. And then I think that there's something wrong with me. I don't like to run around creating chaos like the Marauders do. I don't like to run around, I like books and the library and going to bed early to read and not getting into detention and it makes me feel bad. I know you cannot have any other children—and sometimes I don't think I'm good enough to be the one kid you get. Sometimes I wonder why you don't just trade me in. I wish I understood it but I don't. This is just how I feel—"

And then her voice rose and she didn't know how to stop the words that were pouring out of her mouth. Again like in the dark rooms below the school she had just said what she was feeling.

"I didn't know how to tell you. It's just how I feel sometimes…" she finished lamely.

There was a very pregnant pause.

"Well" her mum said finally. "At least you told us. We don't know what's going on in your head Cal unless you talk to us. Now we do and we can fix it. But you have to tell us things too."

"And…well…I did go to the library myself you know" her Dad defended. Calla smiled but then he had one finger under her chin and lifted it up so she was looking at him in the eyes.

"Seriously Calla, the only thing you ever have to do to make me and your Mum happy is just give us one of those smiles"

And at long last Calla believed him.

Throat too tight to speak, she instead simply smiled.

* * *

"Do you think we did the right thing?" James said finally to Sirius looking over his son, his goddaughter and their two friends all sat on Harry's bed. Judging by the way Harry was talking to them and Hermione's screaming he imagined his son was giving them the embellished story of what had happened three nights ago.

"Not telling him about the prophecy I mean?"

"Yes" Sirius said firmly. "He's a kid. She's a kid. There all kids and…the whole point of it all, Alice and Frank, Gideon and Fabian, Caradoc and Benjy and all the others that lived and loved and lost in the war was so the people who could survive could have this. So our kids could grow up worrying about homework rather than dying"

James knew he was right.

Sirius gave a long sigh.

"I think I might take a break from looking for…Pettigrew…" he said finally. James turned to stare at him, Sirius had after all been the one who had been encouraging James to go and hunt down their former friend. Sirius shrugged however.

"I think it nearly cost me something a lot more precious" he said simply. "Calla's got some serious misconceptions and I don't know why and I want to take my family somewhere warm where she can read books and me and Marls can sit on our backsides…well…I can and cop a good eyeful of Marls in a bikini"

James nodded trying not to imagine Marlene McKinnon in a bikini because knowing his luck that would be the exact moment his own wife would show up and she had ways of getting information out of people that would make Death Eaters blush.

"God there's never a quiet year in this place is there?" he said finally.

Sirius just laughed.

* * *

 **And there you go, final chapter should be following this one.**

 **Next Chapter-As this story comes to a close, the four go to the end of year feast, Neville becomes a good friend, James and Lily have a much needed moment as they consider what lies ahead. **


	15. Homecoming

**Hi, so here is the final chapter! This one concludes the story and will be published around Christmas. I do apologise for the lateness but I have been battling the dreaded Christmas cold that has made me bedridden for days and then issues with my computor so things slid by. I hope publishing the last two chapters around the same time will make up for that.**

 **I hope you have all enjoyed this chapter and this story. I do have an idea for a prequal in mind for Sirius and Marlene but as of yet I do not have any plans for a second story. This was just designed to be a one off.**

 **Disclaimer-Nothing is mine.**

 **Please let me read and review.**

* * *

And They Lived

Chapter 15-Homecoming

As this story comes to a close, the four go to the end of the year feast, Neville becomes a good friend, James and Lily have a much needed moment as they consider what lies ahead.

* * *

 **Chapters Covered-** The Man With Two Faces-Part Three

* * *

The next morning Harry and Calla were released from the hospital wing. They took up residence in their dorm rooms as if they never left. Neville was only a little bit sore considering about the whole body bind curse and Dean and Seamus were back to their normal selves. Quidditch had ended with them losing but as Calla pointed out you couldn't have everything in life. Both she and Hermione had gone back to their age old habit of reading books while he and Ron were playing chess but there was something about Calla now that made him stare at her. Harry had to admit that there was something about his cousin that made him stare at her a little bit more these days.

It was like the cloud of darkness that had been hung over her had gone away. There was a quiet confidence that surrounded her that had come overnight it seemed. She was sitting up a little bit straighter and her smile was a little bit stronger and brighter and she was talking a little bit more to people instead of keeping her head buried in a book. It was like she had received an answer to all of her questions. Harry had no idea what she and Uncle Sirius and Aunt Marlene had been talking about but clearly the conversation had made Calla the happiest Harry had seen her their whole lives and certainly this whole year.

Their parents were staying at the castle. Harry didn't know why but his Dad had told him that they were staying to ensure that Dumbledore actually did destroy the stone and did it in a safe way. Harry and Ron both took it from that conversation that nobody's parents (with the exception of Hermione's who didn't know probably what had happened) were very happy with their headmaster right now.

Finally however Harry was allowed out to go to the end of year feast. The old saying was right. What had happened down in the dungeons between himself, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Calla Black was of course a complete and utter secret. So naturally the whole school knew…well they knew that their incompetent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had been caught stealing a dark object intent on trying to resurrect Lord Voldemort, they didn't know about the two heads (that would have sent half the school into an outright panic there and then) and they didn't know about the stone or what exactly had happened but they got the general gist and when Harry walked into the great hall he wasn't surprised…in fact he was a little put out to see that he was still clearly as famous as ever.

Merlin what it must be like to have a normal life.

He sat down and worked his way through his steak and chips. Ron next to him was inhaling his chicken pie while Hermione was chatting to Calla both of them talking over their pie and fish that they had chosen respectively. The hall was filled with light chatter dimmed somewhat by the knowledge that Slytherin had for the seventh year on the trot won both the Quidditch championships and the House Cup.

But as Calla had said when she had leaned over to snag the last piece of Banoffee Pie, things could have been a lot worse—they were all still alive after all.

Harry noticed his parents, his godparents and Uncle Remus sat at one end of the table eating and joking and laughing amongst themselves. In between shooting his father and godfather some very nasty looks Snape was also shooting him a look that made him happy he was in a room surrounded by lots of people. Somehow Harry just knew Snape was never going to change his opinion off him. He found however that he was alright with that. He was his father's son after all.

But looking at them he could see the kids that they used to be. Like he was, like they all were and Harry Potter knew there and then that he had been right and it had all been worth it. He would do all of this again if it meant that he didn't get to see his parents revert back into the same worried people that they had been whenever the war had been discussed at home. He wanted to live.

His thoughts however were cut off when Professor Dumbledore stood up. Harry looked down at his treacle tart knowing what was coming. Calla set down her fork and pushed her half eaten banoffee pie away and Ron shoved the last piece of the chocolate cake in his mouth. Only Hermione, Neville and Malfoy continued to eat their last mouthful (Eaton Mess, Sticky Toffee Pudding with custard and a Crème Caramel respectfully) before they turned their attention to the headmaster. Malfoy, Harry noticed had a rather smug look on his face that made Harry want to lob his spoon in the direction.

He looked away and wished Dumbledore would get this over with so he could grab his hot chocolate and get to bed.

* * *

What the hell was the old coot on about a few extra house points? James shot a look at Sirius who shrugged. Marlene and Lily however looked deeply disapprovingly at their old leader while Remus was too busy trying to eat forth helpings of his chocolate cake under the table to do anything other than look amused. James got the distinct impression that (and not for the first time in his life) he was missing something.

"First to Mr Ronald Weasley…for the best played game of chess, Hogwarts has seen in many years. I award Gryffindor, fifty points."

It was like an explosion had gone off James thought fondly. Ron was bright red, his son next to him hugging him. He shook his head. Dumbledore was right to reward them he knew—they had done more this year than have of his trainees back at the office. It just made his heart lurch to think about how close he came to losing his son…

But Dumbledore was speaking again. "Second of all to Miss Hermione Granger, for the cool use of intellect when others were in grave peril, fifty points"

Hermione Granger had disappeared under the people hugging her. James had the strongest sensation that she had burst into tears. He couldn't help it, he was grinning now. Lily caught his eye and looked away but James could see the grin on her face as well. Sirius was practically jumping up and down on the edge of his seat, Marlene was smirking and even Remus had put down his chocolate—an amazing thing.

They couldn't help it. They were proud.

So proud.

"Thirdly to Miss Calla Black—" at this point James saw distinctly his goddaughter's head smack up to stare at Dumbledore in shock her face as white as milk. He bit his lip to stop laughing. Merlin—these kids were going to be the death of him.

"For a steady sense of determination, a streak of fierce independence I have missed in my school—" at this point Dumbledore's eyes flickered just left of him to glance at Marlene. "And for reminding us all that remaining true to ourselves is the only way to be happy, another fifty points"

James could see amongst all the noise (and nothing compared with Sirius jumping up out of his chair with a very loud _'Hell yes, take_ _that you sneaky snakes'_ ) Remus counting it up in his head. He caught James eye and shook his head. They were nearly there…nearly but not quite.

"And finally to Mr Harry Potter. For pure nerve and outstanding courage. I award Gryffindor house, sixty points"

Damn they were one point out. James was on his feet shouting and cheering with all the rest but he couldn't help it. The old rivalry was much to strong…all they needed was one more point.

But Dumbledore was not done yet it seemed.

"And finally" he said beaming. "It takes a great deal of strength to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. Therefore…I award ten points…to Neville Longbottom"

James couldn't help but get to his feet with everyone. Neville was too like his father sometimes and Frank despite being one of the best friends that James had ever had (present company excluded) had not been the great point scorer when they had been at school. In fact it had been quite the opposite.

But now his son had just won the House Cup. Frank would have been proud. Hell James was proud. The banners were replaced with gold and red and the partying continued well into the night. James suspected that his son didn't get a wink of sleep that night considering the state he was in at breakfast the next morning and even he had to admit he had drank…well a bit too much.

* * *

The end of the year was upon them. Their bags were packed, Calla and Hermione had returned all their books to the library and the exam results were out. The exam results had come out and Calla was pleased to see she was in the top eighty percent of students which she was pleased about. Hermione was top in everything and Harry and Ron had scraped through comfortably. Even Neville had managed to get good grades. All Calla was pleased about was that she had beaten Draco Malfoy.

"That's the spirt" her Dad had said sportingly when she told him this as he left to get the house ready the day before.

"Sirius" her mum growled but she too was beaming as she looked down at the Os and the Es that she had managed to get in her first set of underage exams at Hogwarts-they were not the same as real exams but they counted and her grades were better than she had expected considering her stomach had been too tightly wound in knots for her to manage to revise for them probably.

Most of that last day was spent in the Common Room. The four of them sat together, Harry and Ron generally playing chess and Calla and Hermione reading. Neville now joined them sometimes always with a book about plants or one he had managed to get Professor Sprout to give him. Even Seamus and Dean joined them now the latter with his sketchpad and Seamus with his own chessboard. He was rather good actually. Well Calla thought…he was giving Ron a run for his money at least.

They continued to laugh and chat all the way back home on the train. Playing Exploding Snap and discussing ways in which they could get Draco Malfoy expelled even if they were highly improbable, impractical and illegal.

Finally they were back at London. They all said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Dean and Seamus to their mothers, Neville to his grandmother and Hermione finally to her parents.

"When we get back from our holiday you should stay with me" Calla said hugging her friend.

"No" Ron said. "Come and stay with us Hermione, Harry and Calla come every year."

"Perhaps you should all come and stay with me. Learn how to use the toaster" Hermione quipped.

Three blank faces stared at her.

Hermione sighed waved and then skipped off to her parents who were standing around looking very out of place surrounded by all of this magic.

"Hello Cal" her Dad said beaming. "Come on, let's go home"

Calla waved goodbye once and left King's Cross in a much happier mood she knew that when she had first arrived all those months ago.

* * *

Later that night in Potter Manor, James and Lily Potter were getting ready for bed.

"Tough year wasn't it?" James said conversationally.

"Tough?" Lily said turning to him her red hair swaying in a way that James dizzy for a second. God his wife was beautiful.

"Tough? James were lucky that our son is alive"

"I know" James said finally. "But he is. We did it. We got him to Hogwarts. Eleven years ago Lil that was a dream and you know it"

"I do" Lily conceded remembering that year where they had hidden afraid of their very shadows and that year afterwards where they had been famous overnight.

"And I supposed I should have known that having your kid was not going to be a picnic. Well. Maybe year two will be easier."

James laughed tilting his head back.

"And they lived Happily Ever After" he concluded.

Lily snorted. James would never change it seemed.

"Never mind happily ever after" she said shaking her head and using her wand to turn off the lights—James pulled her into his arms like they did every night and Lily settled down against her husband, her son warm in his bed next door and her house quiet against the still night.

"And we lived more like" Lily muttered.

"And we lived" James repeated into her hair.

And they lived indeed.

* * *

 **And there you go. I hope you all enjoyed this little story.**

 **A Massive Thank You to all of you who have read and reviewed and followed and favourited all fifteen chapters of this story. This was a lot of fun to write and I promise you I will return back to this fandom shortly. Harry Potter is one of my favourite fandoms to write for, again a massive thank you to all of you who have told me how much you love this story. I hope to see you again shortly.**

 **And a very Merry Christmas to you all and a very happy and safe 2019.**


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